


This is Me Trying

by adenei



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, romione
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:20:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25614988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adenei/pseuds/adenei
Summary: What could have happened 6th year if Hermione had confronted Ron about his behavior after his row with Ginny.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 39
Kudos: 76





	1. I'm a Mess

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by Taylor Swift's song.
> 
> I haven't decided yet if I should leave this as a one-shot, or continue it at least through Slughorn's party.

THREE DAYS. It’d been three days since her so called best friend had started acting like an utter prat. And for no reason! Maybe, just maybe, Hermione could have understood if she’d done or said something to him that would have justified the icy demeanor that had come out of nowhere Monday morning.

  
Hermione slammed her book shut on the library table and let out a frustrating sigh, startling Luna, who was sitting across from her. Luna wasn’t a bad library companion. It beat sitting there alone, but Hermione just couldn’t focus on anything right now. Why did she always have to let Ron Weasley get the best of her emotions.

  
“Are you okay, Hermione?” Luna asked her. “You seem awfully frustrated.” Only Luna would state the obvious like that.

  
“I’m sorry Luna. I’m, I’ll be fine.” Hermione was slightly abashed by her actions.

  
“Okay.” After it looked like the two had gotten back their books, Luna kindly said, “I’m a good listener if you want to talk it out.” Hermione gave her a grateful smile. The two girls weren’t close by any means, but after the Department of Mysteries, Hermione viewed Luna as a friend more so than an acquaintance. Hermione tried to put her focus back on her studies, but when another five minutes passed and she hadn’t even so much as turned the page, Hermione gave up. She closed the book (gently this time), and looked at Luna.  
“We were fine last Friday in Herbology. More than fine, at least that’s what I thought. I told him we could invite someone to attend Slughorn’s Christmas party with us and that I was intending to invite him. He said he’d like that. The weekend went by with no issue, but then he woke up Monday in a right foul mood and hasn’t spoken, let alone looked at me since then. I just don’t get it!” Tears had started to well up in her eyes from letting it all out. She didn’t mean to dump it all on Luna, but there was something to be said about confiding in someone.  
“Are you speaking about Ron Weasley?” Luna asked her.  
“Y-yes.” Hermione responded. Luna was quiet for several minutes, causing Hermione to second guess spilling her problems out to her. Finally, she spoke.  
“Did you officially ask Ron to Slughorn’s party?” she asked. That’s it? That’s all she had to say? Nonetheless, Hermione thought about how ridiculous Luna’s question was. Of course she - . Wait, no, that can’t be right. She replayed the conversation over in her head.  
“Oh my God, no. I didn’t.” She couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized it. “But, that can’t be the reason he isn’t even speaking to me, Luna.”  
“No, I suppose it isn’t, but it’s a conversation starter, isn’t it?”  
“Er, yes, I suppose it is. Thanks, Luna.”  
Luna was quiet a while longer before she asked, “You said he stopped talking to you after Quidditch practice Sunday evening?”  
“Yes, that’s right,” Hermione said. “Why?”  
“Ginny was also upset the following morning in Charms. Maybe they had a row with each other?”  
Hermione thought about that. “Yes, maybe. Did Ginny give any idea what she was upset about?”  
“Just that Ron should stay out of her personal life, though she used some more colorful words. I think Ron and Harry caught her and Dean snogging.”  
“But why would Ron take that out on me? It still doesn’t add up.” Hermione’s frustration was growing again, despite having more answers.  
Luna continued to have that airy thoughtfulness about her. “Perhaps Ginny knew something that she used against Ron in the heat of the argument..” Luna seemed startled by her own thoughts coming out of her mouth. “You know how Ginny can get in a temper,” she added meekly.  
Hermione sat back in the stiff library chair. There was no way Ginny could have betrayed any of her secrets, though? Right? Her brain set off in a whirlwind sifting through information faster than she could almost keep up. They were snogging. Ron caught them. He must have been upset seeing it. Harry said practice was dismal so he must have already been in a bad mood. What does Ginny do when she’s mad? Cuts them where it hurts most. Has Ron ever snogged anyone? God, I hope not. She’d always wanted to be each other’s first kiss in her own perfect world. Stop it and focus! She told herself. Whether Ron had snogged or not, that’s what Ginny would throw at him first. That’s what she did. Knocked them down where it related most to the situation.  
“No..” Hermione whispered. Luna raised an eyebrow at her. “She wouldn’t have.”  
Luna contemplated her before saying, “Regardless of what Ginny said, what are you going to do about Ron, Hermione? I wouldn’t round on Ginny and have two Weasleys mad at you. That’s just my opinion” she added lightly.  
Luna was right. They both knew how hot headed Ginny could be. Seemed to be a common trait among the Weasleys. It wasn’t worth getting in a fight with Ginny over. She had to focus on fixing things with Ron. She missed her best friend.  
“You should talk to him,” Luna said.  
“He won’t, not until he’s cooled down. It’s no use, Luna” Hermione sounded dejected.  
“There isn’t any scenario in which you could fool him into listening? Maybe he doesn’t even need to speak.” Luna watched her closely. Hermione looked over Luna and noticed the clock on the wall. Thirty minutes until rounds. ROUNDS.  
“That’s it! Luna, you’re a genius!” Hermione grabbed a small piece of parchment, dipped her favorite quill in the inkwell, and began writing a small note.  
“I wouldn’t say genius,” Luna started, “though I am a Ravenclaw after all. I just used logic to help you sort out the problem.”  
Hermione began packing up her bag, and looked at Luna. “Well, even still, thank you for listening, and for helping. I’d still be swimming through my own thoughts and would probably have never confronted him about anything if it weren’t for you. I’m glad you’re my friend, Luna.” Hermione thought she saw Luna’s eyes become watery.  
Luna smiled, “You’re welcome, Hermione. I hope it all works out.”  
“Me too,” Hermione said as she made her way out of the library. When she returned to the common room, she saw Harry and Ron sitting in the comfiest chairs by the fire.  
“Hey, Hermione.” Harry said.  
“Hi, Harry.” She took a deep breath to hold her nerve. She walked up next to Ron, handed him the parchment, and said, “We have rounds in ten. I’ll meet you outside the portrait hole.” Hermione left and walked up to the dormitory to put her things away.  
“You gonna go?” Harry asked Ron as Hermione disappeared up the staircase.  
“Have to, don’t I?” He tossed the opened parchment to Harry. Harry looked down to see the note.  
“You have a prefect meeting before rounds?” Harry asked.  
“Happens sometimes,” Ron said. “Maybe I can get someone to switch with me.”  
“Or, you could talk to Hermione..” Harry said hopefully. Ron’s look was enough to quell that hope. Ron grudgingly shoved his things in his bags and headed upstairs.  
While Ron was upstairs, Harry stared down at the parchment Ron had left. He hated when his two best friends fought. Which reminded him to thank Ginny for this one. He looked down again and noticed the writing looked an awfully lot like Hermione’s. Why would she write the note?” Something did not make sense. Though, when it came to his two best friends, not much ever did. He crumpled the parchment and went back to his essay.

* * *

Hermione came down first and exited the portrait hole, where she waited for Ron. I hope this works. She thought to herself. Faking a prefect’s meeting to corner him in a classroom to try and talk was low, but Hermione wasn’t willing to go who knows how long without speaking to him. She heard the portrait hole open again, and out came a miserable looking Ron.  
“Right then, shall we?” Hermione said to a deafening silence. They made their way to an empty classroom on the fifth floor.  
The door was closed, and Hermione gestured for Ron to enter first. He walked in and lit the lanterns, illuminating the room. He wasn’t surprised that they were first. When Hermione was involved, they were always early. As he was busy lighting the room, Hermione closed the door and cast an imperturbable on the door. She turned around and leaned her back against the door.  
“What are you doing?” Ron said, confused, but she could hear the anger rising in his voice.  
“We need to talk,” Hermione said. “Well, no, I have some things to say. You don’t have to say anything at all if you don’t want to, but I’d like you to listen if it’s all the same.”  
“This is ridiculous, Hermione. Move out of the way. I’ll go to rounds on my own!” He started toward the door, but Hermione stood taller though her knees were trembling. She knew without a doubt that Ron would never hurt her.  
“No,” her voice said shakily. “I’m not moving until I’ve said what I need to say.” When he didn’t look like he was going to back down, she added, “Does our friendship really mean that little to you that you can’t even listen?” Ron stared at her as his face turned red. She wasn’t sure if it was from anger or not.  
“Fine.” Ron said.  
“L-last Friday, in Herbology, I meant what I said about intending to ask you to Slughorn’s party. B-but it didn’t occur to me that I didn’t actually ask you. You don’t have to answer me right away, but Ron, I’d v-, I’d very much like it if you’d be my date to Slughorn’s Christmas party.” Hermione stood there for a moment, thinking about what she wanted to say next. She hadn’t exactly had time to plan her thoughts out. Neither of them looked at each other.  
“To think we could have had another Yule Ball on our hands..” she continued quietly. That seemed to get his attention. “Did you know Viktor asked me three times to go to the Ball with him?” Hermione asked. Ron started to scowl.  
“No, no, I’m not saying that to annoy you! Really, I’m not!” Hermione should have known that wasn’t the right thing to say. “I told him no twice because I, I was holding out for someone else to ask me. Sure, I could have asked him, but just once I wanted the fairy tale ending I’d grown up reading. He did ask me, eventually, but it wasn’t the invitation I’d always hoped it would be, and that night, when Viktor asked me the third time in the library, I said yes..partially out of spite.” Hermione saw Ron’s facial expression soften ever so slightly. That gave her the courage to keep going.  
“I know it was wrong to accept Viktor’s invitation on that premise, but I was hurt. At least someone else seemed to have noticed me as more than a bossy, know-it-all bookworm. I did end up having such a wonderful time, but I always wondered how it could have been with someone else. Viktor treated me kindly, and was a perfect gentleman. He was never uncouth, and never made me feel uncomfortable in the slightest. But there wasn’t any spark for me. At the end of the night, he, Viktor, kissed me. It was a simple kiss, a quick peck really. When he pulled away he looked at me, his eyes asking if I wanted more. I- I couldn’t do that to him. It wasn’t what I wanted. He wasn’t who I wanted. I thanked him for a wonderful evening and turned to head to the common room. And, well, I’m sure you remember what happened then.” They both stared silently into space.  
“I guess that’s all I really wanted to say,” Hermione chanced a glance at him. Ron remained quiet, not giving anything away. “We can start rounds now, if you want. I’m sorry I tricked you with the meeting. I just, really needed you to know, that’s all.” Hermione took the charm off the door and opened it.  
Ron followed her out. She was half expecting him to leave her to rounds on her own, but he didn’t. They walked silently to start the route they’d walked many times since the start of fifth year. Ron knew his body was going through the motions of rounds, and his brain wasn’t actually paying attention to their surroundings.. He felt like he’d been run over by the Hogwarts Express.  
Vicky had only kissed her, nothing more. Why the bloody fuck had Ginny made it out to be more than that? Because you were rowing you arse, There he went, berating himself again through inner dialogue. You’ve been treating Hermione like dirt all week because Ginny had exaggerated. Ron had no idea what to say to her. She told him he didn’t have to say anything, but he wanted to say something. Sorry didn’t seem to cut it. He also didn’t want to admit to her why he’d been pissed. She couldn’t have known, could she? Maybe she was just clarifying her invitation. Maybe..but she’d never been that candid before. They’d never spoken about the Yule Ball after it happened. It was some sort of agreement they shared. Isn’t that what got us here in this bloody mess in the first place?  
Then there was the invitation. She’d officially asked him to Slughorn’s party. Did that mean that she really wanted to go with him? He'd assumed it was a pity invite originally, but what’d she say? She’d like him to be her date. He’d very much like that, too. They weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend yet, but maybe there was hope they could get there. Maybe, just maybe, she fancies me, too. Better not get your hopes up, Weasley. His anger towards the row with Ginny had pretty much dissipated by now. He needed to figure out how to tell her before rounds ended, as it was they were already on the seventh floor. They’d be back at Gryffindor tower soon. Just tell her, you git. Say yes. It’s not that hard. Ron stopped.  
Hermione kept walking before she realized Ron wasn’t beside her anymore. She turned around to see what happened. “What’s wrong?” There weren’t any classrooms around to bust any snogging couples. She started to walk back towards him.  
“Yes.” was all Ron could say.  
“Sorry?” Hermione stopped, looking confused.  
“I’d like to be your date to Slughorn’s party,” Ron clarified.  
“Really?” Hermione looked hopefully at him for the first time all night.  
“Yeah.”  
“Brilliant!” Her face turned into a wide smile. Ron smiled back at her. They continued walking back to Gryffindor tower.  
“Sorry I took all my quidditch frustration out on you. That wasn’t fair. Dunno why I thought I could keep again this year.” Ron wasn’t sure where that had come from, but it was a hint of truth for his behavior.  
“Just don’t make it a habit. I don’t appreciate the cold shoulder. Especially when I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve it.” Hermione accepted his apology. She turned to him to add, “You really are a great keeper, Ron. Everyone believes in you. You just need to believe in yourself.”  
“Er, thanks,” Ron said gratefully.  
They’d made their way up to the portrait hole at that point. Neither said the password, though. Hermione turned towards Ron and hugged him. Ron was surprised, but hugged her back.  
“Glad that’s sorted, then,” Hermione said as they broke apart awkwardly.  
“Me too,” Ron agreed. “Headed to bed, then?” Part of him was secretly hoping they could stay in the common room a while.  
“Er, yeah, I think so. See you in the morning?” She said. He tried to hide his disappointment.  
“ ‘Course.”  
With that, they both entered the common room, quite relieved to be back on speaking terms, and possibly..more?


	2. Everything's Okay...I Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation from Chapter 1. Takes place the night before the match. Enjoy :)

It was the following evening, and Hermione had found herself in the library with Luna once more. The boys were off at the pitch getting a last minute session in now that Ron’s spirits were better.

“Mind if I join you?” Ginny had appeared at their table.

“Didn’t want to practice with Harry and Ron?” Hermione asked as she gestured to the open chair.

“Dean had other ideas after dinner. I only now just broke away because I need to get this essay done before the match tomorrow,” Ginny explained.

They began to work in companionable silence as Hermione found herself looking out the window towards the quidditch pitch. Things felt back to normal with Ron, and she was much happier for it.

“Hermione, you still look distracted today,” Luna noticed. “Did your talk with Ronald not go well last night?”

“What? Oh, it went quite well actually. We’re back to normal again, it seems.”

“That’s wonderful news!”

“What was his problem this time?” Ginny asked.

Hermione contemplated her before answering. She was certainly not going to let her know that she knew about her exaggeration and betrayal. “Surely you noticed he wasn’t speaking to me for the better part of the week..out of nowhere.”

“Oh, it might have crossed my mind once or twice. Just thought it was another misunderstanding like with Crookshanks and Scabbers back in third year,” Ginny said.

“At least I knew what his problem was that time,” Hermione told her.

“So how’d you get him to crack so quickly? Normally he’s got another week of stewing.” Ginny said sarcastically.

“I faked a note that we had a prefect meeting before our rounds last night. Locked him in a classroom and guarded the door so I could say what I needed to. It was Luna who convinced me to speak my mind and not let him treat me like that for no reason.”

“Wait, he told you what happened?” Ginny was trying to play it cool, but Hermione could tell there was the slightest hint of worry in her normally cool demeanor.

“No, I told him I didn’t understand what I’d done to upset him this much. I just asked him to listen to what I had to say. He didn’t want to, but he did.” Hermione shrugged.

“Whoa. Hermione, where’d this side of you come from?” Ginny said at the end of her re-telling.

“Luna helped me see that I didn’t need to accept what was going on. She smiled as she said, “I ask questions and clarify everything else around me, so why was I just going to let this go on without fighting back?” Hermione shrugged as Luna smiled knowingly.

“So...did he ever say anything?” Ginny pressed.

“No, not at first. But he didn’t abandon me on rounds either. We just walked in silence until we were about back to the portrait hole. He finally spoke, and we were able to have a short conversation that cleared the air a bit. I was so relieved I hugged him, and asked if we were okay again because I missed my best friend.”

“That’s brilliant, Hermione! Really! And not just because I’m hoping this puts his head on straight for the match tomorrow..” Ginny added.

“Always thinking about quidditch,” Hermione said as she rolled her eyes.

“That’s wonderful news, Hermione! I’m so glad you two were able to sort it out,” Luna had finally spoken.

“Thanks, Luna. I couldn’t have done it without you,” Hermione said.

* * *

Ron had just had a successful practice session with Harry, and was feeling better about the following day’s match than he had yet.

“Great job, Ron,” Harry said as they headed toward the changing room.

“Thanks, reckon I’m ready for tomorrow, don’t you?” Ron asked.

“Definitely.” After a minute or so, Harry said, “Say, you and Hermione seemed to be better today. Or was I just imagining things?”

“No, we’re better now.” Ron said, remembering their conversation last night.  
“That’s good. What was the prefect meeting about?”

“What meeting? Ron asked, confused at first. “Oh, Hermione made that up to get me alone.” Harry’s eyes shot up higher than his scar. “No, not like that! She wanted to say a few things, and needed to make sure I’d listen, so she tricked me into a classroom before she locked the door and wouldn’t let me leave until she’d said her piece.”

Harry burst out laughing. “Just when you think she can’t surprise you anymore, she does something like that.”

Ron shook his head. “You’re right about that.”

“I thought something was up with the note she gave you. It was her handwriting..” Harry said.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Ron asked.

“How did you not notice yourself?” Harry pointed out. Ron threw his sweaty practice jersey at Harry for the retort. “Are you really upset that I didn’t? You’d still be pissed at her for what Ginny said if I had.”

“Fair enough,” Ron agreed.

“You know, I think Gin may have exaggerated a bit about that.” Ron looked at him. “Not that Hermione’s ever talked about that with me, it just never seemed to me like she was all that interested in Krum.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier, then?” 

“You’re barmy if you think I was going to get in the middle of a Weasley row. That was between you and Ginny. I’m happy on the sidelines.” Ron couldn’t argue with that. They’d finished changing and began making their way up to the castle. “So..” Harry started, “does that mean you two are, erm..”

“Are what?” It took Ron a moment to figure out what Harry was implying. “Oh, er, no. Don’t think so, at least.”

“How do you not think so? You two are insufferable sometimes, you know that right?” Harry shook his head in disbelief.

“Well, I mean, she officially asked me to Slughorn’s party, and I said yes. So we have a, a date, but nothing more,” Ron told him.

“That’s brilliant, mate!” Harry said excitedly. “You don’t think..”

Ron was sure he knew what Harry was trying to imply, but he didn’t want to think about it more. He could hope for something more in private, but nothing else. Talking about it would make it seem real, which would hurt more if he were to be rejected. Excited though he was that Hermione had asked him to be her date, there was still this nagging in the back of his mind. What if it was just a pity invite? It didn’t sound like a pity invite when she asked, though. If it was a pity invite, why would she have told him everything about the Yule Ball. He shoved the thoughts into the back of his brain. He didn’t need to be addled with more self doubt, not with the match tomorrow.

“No idea. What do you want to do when we get back to the common room?”

Harry let his question be avoided. He knew when Ron was done with a conversation. “I could go for a round of two of chess if you’re up for it?” Harry wanted to keep Ron’s confidence up.

“Sure, mate,” Ron said.

No sooner had they sat down at the table by the fire to start their match, that Lavender Brown sauntered over to them.

“Hey, Ron,” she said with a shy smile. 

“Hi,” Ron said simply. Ron was focused on setting up the chess board, but Harry noticed Lavender batting her eyelashes at Ron. Not to mention the fact that she’d completely ignored Harry.

Ron’s short answer was not going to deter Lavender, though. “Have a good fly? Parvati and I saw you practicing on our walk earlier.”

“Er, yeah, I guess.”

“Ready for the match tomorrow?”

“As I’ll ever be.” 

“We’ve been practicing our verses for ‘Weasley is our King’ for tomorrow. I’m so excited to see you play.”

“What?” Ron asked.

How in the world is Ron oblivious to the fact that Lavender is making a pass at him, Harry thought? And how is Lavender not taking his answers for disinterest? Harry really wasn’t sure what he was witnessing. He heard the portrait hole open. Ginny and Hermione had walked in and were finishing their conversation on the other side of the room. He saw Hermione had noticed Lavender talking to Ron. Shit, this had better not mess everything up..

“You know how Gryffindor took Slytherin’s awful song and turned it into their victory chant after we won the cup last year?” Lavender reminded him.

“Oh, right. Er, thanks.”

“Maybe we could hang out tomorrow evening? After the match?”

Ron finally looked up at Lavender. Was she...no way. It was then that he saw Hermione with Ginny by the portrait hole. “Umm, I’m not sure. I may not be up for it, depending on how the match goes, or how tired I am, you know? Sorry.”

“Oh, of course! What if I ask again tomorrow after the match?” Lavender was not taking no for an answer very easily.

“Er..” Ron’s mind was swimming in thought. How did he tell her ‘thanks, but no thanks’? He couldn’t tell her he was seeing someone because he technically wasn’t. He also didn’t want to be blatantly rude and tell her he wasn’t interested, either. Not that he knew how, he’d never done that before. Then there was Hermione. They were back on good terms, and he’d already committed to being her date for the party in just over a month. Would she get the wrong idea if she saw Lavender talking to him?

Before he could come up with a response quick enough, Lavender said, “I’ll just plan for that then,” with a smile on her face. “Have a good night!” She bounced off up to the girls’ dormitory.

Ron turned to Harry with a ‘what the bloody fuck just happened’ look on his face as Hermione sat down next to him.

“What was all that about?” she asked. 

Harry responded before Ron could figure out to say, “I think Lavender was coming onto Ron just now. Couldn’t even be bothered to say ‘hi’ to me,” he feigned insult. 

“What?” Hermione seemed confused, and looked at Ron, searching for confirmation.  
“I don’t know..I wasn’t really paying any attention at first. I was trying to get the chessboard ready. I think she was talking about the match tomorrow. Then she asked if I wanted to hang out after the match..”

“What’d you say?” Hermione was trying to act casual, but the worried look in her eyes wasn’t hiding anything.

“I thought I told her no,” Ron said simply.

Harry looked at him, “No, you told her you weren’t sure how you’d be feeling after the match, with a sorry at the end.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve ever been in a position to turn a girl down before!” Ron snapped at Harry. “If you’re so good at it, maybe you can show me how it’s done next time.”  
“Easy, mate, that’s not what I meant. Just tell her you aren’t interested tomorrow when she asks again. You know, if you’re not interested.”

“Right. Yeah..” Ron acknowledged Harry. Hermione was oddly silent. 

“So..chess?” Harry asked.

“Sure,” Ron said. “Alright, Hermione?” she was still too quiet for Ron’s comfort.

“What? Oh, yes, fine,” she responded. 

Ron smiled at her, “You can play winner if you’d like.” 

“Sure, that’s fine. Then I should probably head to bed. As should you. Big day tomorrow!”  
Hermione knew she was trying to deflect Ron’s concern. She was trying not to worry about the whole Lavender conversation, but she couldn’t shake it. I’m such a fool for thinking we could work our way slowly into something more. If Hermione was being honest, she was hoping that Slughorn’s party could be the defining moment for them as something more, but that just wasn’t going to work now. 

Her mind was whirring around, formulating a plan. She needed to find out if Ron actually wanted to ‘hang out’ with Lavender tomorrow evening. He never actually said he didn’t want to. Hermione thought she’d all but told him she fancied him last night. The Yule Ball story really was the perfect confession without actually saying so. She thought she was obvious enough. Now, she wasn’t so sure. What do I have to do to make you understand how I feel Ron Weasley. 

“Hermione?” Ron interrupted her thoughts.

“What?” 

“You’re up.”

“Already?”

“You didn’t see Harry’s dismal defeat?” Ron laughed. 

“No, I guess I didn’t.” She'd really been lost in her own mind.

“Well, you better focus or I’ll beat you just as quickly,” Ron gave her a playful grin.  
“You two have fun. I’m going to bed,” Harry interrupted them.

“Goodnight, Harry,” Hermione said.

“See you soon, mate,” Ron added. He’d reset the chessboard as Hermione had left the couch to take Harry’s spot. Hermione had tried her hardest to focus, for nothing more than to at least give him some sort of challenge. It was all to no avail though, Ron had her beat in five moves.

“You sure you’re alright?” Ron asked her. “I mean, I know you get absorbed in your own mind a lot, but you just seem more distracted than usual..” Ron trailed off.

“I- yes, I’m fine, just thinking,” Hermione told him.

“About?” Ron had no idea where the question had come from. Sure, he’d thought it in his head, but he wasn’t expecting it to come out of his mouth.

Hermione hesitated. “About last night,” she finally said.

“Oh.” Ron wasn’t sure what to say. Was she second guessing her party invitation?

It was as if Hermione was reading his mind. “No, not that way. I want to go to Slughorn’s party with you. I just, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I’ll see you in the morning. Try and get some sleep, alright?” Hermione got up unexpectedly and took off for the staircase without another word, leaving Ron perplexed. It wasn’t until much later that night that Ron realized that Hermione had suggested she may have fancied him back in fourth year, but he’d never actually told her he felt the same way. That was two years ago, could she really still feel that way? He didn’t know, but he was determined to find out.


	3. Of Kings and Queens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day of the quidditch match. Read on to find out what happens!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to stay somewhat close to the original story line, but honestly the AU life always calls my name, so of course I'm going to stray!

Ron was still unsettled the next morning at breakfast over last night. He’d barely gotten any sleep, tossing and turning, unable to turn his brain off. Now all of that nervous energy was being focused on the match that lay ahead, and the confidence he’d developed yesterday was rapidly slipping away. 

“..Ron,” Harry was trying to get his attention.

“What? Sorry, mate,” Ron said, coming back to the present.

“I asked if you were feeling alright?” Harry had asked, again apparently. Hermione was watching him closely.

“I…” he wasn’t sure what to say. Who was he kidding, thinking he could actually be Gryffindor keeper? “I’ll play today, but I’m done after this. I’m rubbish and everyone knows it.” Ron went back to picking at his food.

“Cheer up, Ron!” Lavender had appeared out of nowhere. “I know you’ll be brilliant!”* She smiled and continued walking. Ron smiled weakly back at her.

As Hermione watched the scene unfold, she noticed Harry tip something into Ron’s drink. “Harry…” she had started to say before he cut her off and ignored her.

“Here, Ron, have a drink! It’s just your nerves talking. Think back to last night’s practice, you were brilliant!” Harry kept his attention on Ron as Hermione was watching them closely. Ron had taken a sip, when Hermione realized what Harry had done.

“Ron, don’t! Don’t drink anymore! Harry, you wouldn’t,” she was appalled that he would even think to ruin Gryffindor’s chances if he were to get caught. She didn’t particularly care for quidditch, but they did, and that wasn’t fair.

“Hermione, don’t be ridiculous! I’m just trying to put something in his stomach. You know, the last thing we need is someone fainting from mal-nourishment on the pitch.” Ooh, Harry thought he was being so clever.

“Thanks, mate, but it’ll be less that comes back up later on.” He took one more swig and gave Hermione an odd look. “I’m gonna head down to the pitch early, I think.”

He got up to leave, and Hermione wasted no time rounding on Harry. “You have got to be kidding me. How could you spike his drink with that. You heard what Slughorn said!” She was whispering fiercely in his ear so no one else would overhear.

Harry held up the full, unopened bottle of Felix so only she could see. “Like I said, Hermione, I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s not like I confunded anyone,” he smirked at her.

Hermione was speechless. “I can’t believe you. I need to go to the library before the match.” She couldn’t believe he had tricked them both, and how did he find out about tryouts. Her face was turning red as she stormed out of the Great Hall, but instead of going to the library, she walked right out onto the grounds of the castle. She could see Ron walking alone up ahead, and something possessed her to join him. Hermione sped as fast as she could without blatantly running with her thirty pound (at least) bag on her shoulder. 

When she got close enough, she called to him. “Ron? Ron, wait up!”

“Hermione? What are you doing out here?” Ron had stopped to wait for her.

“I thought I’d come down to the pitch early.” She paused before she said, “I, I never got to wish you luck before you left.” She stared at the ground as they walked ahead.

“Oh, thanks,” he said. She looked at him then.

“Do you remember what I said the other night on rounds? About believing in yourself?” Hermione asked him.

“Yeah,” Ron said slowly.

“I meant it. When I’d watch you play at the Burrow with your siblings and Harry, you’re always so focused, and the quaffle rarely gets past you. When you’re in the right mindset, your practices here are like that, too.”

Ron stared at her, not believing the words that were coming out of her mouth.

“What?” she asked.

“You mean to say, you were watching when we were practicing?”

“Of course I was! Why would you think I wasn’t?”

“Well, you’d always have a book in your lap and it always looked as though your nose was stuffed in it..”

“I mean, I do normally have a book out, but..I get distracted easily..”

“Right..” Ron couldn’t help the smile that was appearing on his face. He was feeling much more confident now that he knew Hermione was watching, and that she really did think he was good at quidditch. He thought back to the championship last year, and how he’d been in the zone thinking his best friends were out there, seeing how great he was doing. It was a major blow when he’d found out Hagrid had taken them away to reveal Grawp. His smile faltered.

“You know,” Hermione said, “I hated not being able to see last year’s final match. We really did beg Hagrid to wait until after. He was so insistent. And we kept trying to wrap it up so we could get back to see some of it, but it was all for naught.” There was shame and disappointment in her eyes. “I promised myself I wouldn’t miss anything this year. Even if I’m not on the pitch at a practice, I’ve found the perfect table in the library that overlooks from afar so I can still watch.” Her cheeks went scarlet as she realized what she said.

Ron looked at her. “You do?”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“Thanks, Hermione.” He wasn’t sure what else to say to show her his gratitude. They’d been standing and talking outside the changing room for a few minutes now, and Hermione was sure he needed to go get ready.

“I should probably let you get ready then,” Hermione said, but she didn’t move. “You know where to find me in the stands if you need a confidence booster, right?”

“Of course. Meet me here after the match?”   
Hermione smiled. “If that’s what you’d like?”

“Definitely.” 

Ron turned as if to make his way into the changing room, and without thinking too much, Hermione committed herself to leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek. As she was just about to make contact, Ron turned his face back toward her and her lips brushed his. They stood frozen, nose to nose, for a split second that seemed like an eternity. Both not knowing what to do next. Hermione pulled away laughing nervously and took off for the stands. Ron watched her go in a stupor, feeling like he could take on anything after that moment.

* * *

Ron played brilliantly at the match. Every time he saved a goal (which was the vast majority of them), he’d give a quick glance at Hermione, who couldn’t help the shy smile that continued to grow each time. Perhaps the only unlucky thing was that Lavender happened to be situated behind Hermione, so every time Ron would look over, Lavender was mistaking his glance for her.

Hermione wasn’t expecting the mob of Gryffindors waiting outside the changing room at the end of the match. She’d assumed that they would have all gone back up to the common room and waited for the team to join them there. She hovered on the outskirts and waited with no luck. When Ron emerged he was swept up by the crowd who was determined to carry their king up to the castle. Despite her disappointment, Hermione couldn’t help but be happy for Ron and how well he’d done. Hermione lingered a while longer, not wanting to be part of the massive crowd.

“Hey, Hermione!” Harry had come out of the changing room.

“Hey, Harry! Great match today,” Hermione responded.

“Thanks! Not sure if you noticed, but Ron came out already.”

“Yeah, I did see that. I was supposed to meet him, but the Gryffindors seemed to have other plans.”

Harry laughed. “Well care to join me on the journey back up?” Hermione nodded as they began to walk up the hill towards the castle. “Think it was the fake Felix that helped him get over his nerves today?”

Hermione shot him a look. “No, actually. I think it was something else entirely.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “You were in the stands early..” Hermione could tell he was fishing.

“You’re rather observant today, aren’t you?”

“Did you actually go to the library after you left breakfast?”

“No.”

“Did you and Ron -”

“We just talked, Harry, honestly.” Though she couldn’t help the smile that escaped her lips.

“Well, if you can do that before every match, that’d be great.”

“I’ll do my best.”

They’d entered the castle now, and had begun their ascent to the tower. “I reckon it’s going to be quite the after party tonight,” Harry said.

“Don’t remind me. I’m really not interested in upholding prefect duties because of it.”

“Hermione Granger doesn’t want to fulfill prefect duties and keep order tonight? Who are you, really?” Harry joked.

“Well, unless it gets to be too late, but why would I want to take away the celebrations of a win from my friends, who helped accomplish that win?”

“Fair enough. You know people are still going to try and hide the smuggled stuff from you, though.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Hermione laughed.

Hermione and Harry had entered the common room. To Hermione’s continued disappointment, Ron was still surrounded by many people.

“We’ll get to him eventually. Don’t worry.” Was Harry attempting to reassure her?

“I know. His popularity will die down eventually.” Hermione and Harry stayed on the outskirts, waiting for an opening. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the crowd was thinning around him. Hermione began walking over and Ron saw her out of the corner of his eye. He turned to her with a wide grin, which Hermione returned, but before she could reach him, Lavender walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

No, Hermione thought, this could not be happening. She was only a few steps away from him. Her feet kept moving instead of stopping from a distance. Why am I getting closer, do I really want to find out what she’s about to say? Yes, she admitted, and no. 

Ron turned at the tapping and realized who it was. Shit. Why? Why now? Hermione was just coming over here. He’d been waiting since the end of the match to see her. He’d only turned halfway when Lavender had tapped on his shoulder, so he could see Hermione still moving toward him.

“Great game today! I told you that you’d be brilliant!” Lavender said happily. 

“Thanks, Lavender. Could you excuse me for a-”

“Remember last night? I told you I’d ask again after the match. I was hoping you’d like to go on a walk with me around the castle?” She lifted her hand to graze Ron’s arm as she batted her eyes.

Ron’s eyes darted to Hermione. Please don’t let her think I want this, please. “Er, sorry Lavender, now really isn’t a good time.”

As Ron tried to move around her, Lavender said quickly, “Well, would this change your mind?” and she moved toward him as if to - Fuck, no!

Ron put his arms on her shoulders and pushed her gently away as her lips were a millimeter away from his. “Lavender, I’m sorry, but I can’t. There’s someone else.” He looked to where Hermione was, but she was gone. 

“What?!” Lavender was staring at him, not understanding his rejection. He had rejected her, albeit kindly enough, right? “But you don’t.. I’ve never seen you with anyone.. I could show you a good time, you know.”

“Well it’s..it’s not official or anything yet, but I’ve made arrangements for a date, and it wouldn’t be fair to her if you kissed me, now would it?”

“Then why were you looking and smiling at me after every save you made today?” 

“What? I wasn’t… you were there..?” Ron was confused. He’d most definitely been looking to Hermione after each save. He could have sworn he’d made eye contact with her a few times, too. He hadn’t even noticed that Lavender was sitting around her. Ron had only had eyes for Hermione that whole match. 

“You were definitely making eyes at me throughout the entire match, Ron.” Lavender was not backing down.

“No, I wasn’t. I’m sorry if you thought I was looking at you, but I wasn’t.”

SMACK. He heard it before he felt it. Lavender had slapped him clean across the face. “What the bloody hell, Lavender?”

“That’s what you get for leading a girl on with no intention of going with her!” Lavender stomped away from him as he just stared at her dumbfounded.

By now, most of the common room was getting back to the party. Ron had even realized everyone was watching that...whatever that was. He rubbed his cheek as he found Harry and walked over to him. Ginny was laughing next to him.

“Smooth, Ron, real smooth.” Ginny said through her giggling.

“Shut up, Ginevra.”

“Okay, you two, not again,” Harry interrupted them. “I guess Lavender doesn’t take rejection well.”

“Yeah, well, I really don’t care about her at the moment. Have either of you seen Hermione?”

“I saw her leave through the portrait hole, but I don’t know where she went, mate,” Harry said apologetically.

“Thanks,” Ron said as he walked toward the door. 

Ron left the common room and started down the stairs, trying to rack his brain for where she could have been. That’s when he heard the birds chirping and what sound like..sniffling? He turned into the small alcove where he and Hermione had broken up several snogging sessions on rounds. Hermione was sitting on the windowsill with three canaries she’d no doubt conjured.

“Hey,” Ron said softly. “Mind if I join you?”

Hermione wouldn’t even look at him. “Where’s Lavender?” He could hear the venom in her voice.

“Not sure. In her dorm I’d expect. At least that’s where it looked like she was stomping off to.” The silence hung heavily in the air.

“Is she as good a kisser as she makes herself out to be?” So she’d stuck around long enough to see Lavender go in for him.

“Wouldn’t know, actually. I pushed her away before she could put her lips on mine.” Hermione looked up at him then. Finally.

Hermione wasn’t sure if she could believe him or not, so she looked up to see his eyes. His beautiful, clear blue eyes never lied to her. He was standing in the entryway of the alcove, leaning casually against the wall with one leg crossed over the other and his hands in his pockets. His head was tilted down slightly, and he looked at her, waiting patiently for her response. It was then that she noticed the red handprint on his cheek.

“Ron! Did she...did Lavender hit you?!” There was no way.

Ron chuckled at her. “Yeah, she did. Didn’t take kindly to being rejected I guess.”

“Well, I’m sure you didn’t have to be mean about it.” Hermione wasn’t sure why she said that, maybe because Lavender was still her roommate and she did care about her feelings.

“I didn’t think I was. It was all a misunderstanding really.”

“How so?”

“Well, Lavender thought I was making eye contact with her after each save today, and I had to break it to her that I wasn’t actually looking at her.”

“Oh? Was there anything else you told her?”

“Yeah. That I’d committed to a date with someone else, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to have a go with her. Not that I wanted to!” He quickly added.

“I see.”

“I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t interested. I think she was hurt enough at the other information.”

“Well, I kind of feel bad for her.”

“Why?”

“You did sort of lead her on last night.”

“I wasn’t even paying attention to the conversation! That is not a fair argument and you know it.” Hermione couldn’t keep a straight face anymore, and started laughing.

“You can come closer, you know.” She gestured him to come into the alcove more.

“Well, I needed to make sure you didn’t have the wrong idea and set those birds on me, you know?”

Hermione looked shocked and said, “I would never,” as Ron sat down on the windowsill next to her. “You were great today. I knew you could do it.” She smiled at him.

“Couldn’t have done it without you, though.” Ron held her gaze. “Sorry they carried me off like that. I really was looking forward to meeting you after the match.”

“It’s okay, your subjects wanted to worship their king!” Hermione giggled at her own words.  
“Yeah, well, a king could have all the subjects in the world, but it wouldn’t mean a thing if he had no queen.” Ron really wasn’t sure where that line had come from in all honesty, but it was true, and he wanted Hermione to be his queen. He slowly put his hand on top of hers. Hermione was staring at him. Could he really mean that he wanted this? Wanted her? 

Before either of them could say any more, an out of breath Neville had entered the alcove. “There you are! You’d better get back to the common room quick. Things are getting a bit out of hand with the firewhiskey. The other prefects are either missing in action or too pissed to do anything. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and stood up to follow Neville. They’d been so close to...to what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Lavender quote from HBP.


	4. High Hopes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Slughorn's Christmas party! Will Ron and Hermione succeed in fulfilling their first kiss? Or will something else get in the way. Read on to find out. :)

A few weeks had passed since the quidditch match, and Slughorn’s party was quickly nearing, as were the Christmas holidays. Ron wasn’t sure what was getting into all of the teachers because the amount of homework they were being set was getting worse. Between quidditch, prefect duties, and school work, he and Hermione hadn’t really gotten a chance to continue whatever had been about to happen the day of the match. This current blustery evening found Ron and Harry sitting by the fireplace frantically trying to finish a Defense essay.

“Think they’ll give us some sort of break over the holiday?” Harry asked Ron.

“I hope so. I can barely keep up as is. Reckon they’re all trying to torture us, don’t you?” Ron said.

“Seems like it. Just one more day and Slughorn’s party stands between us and a two week break.”

Hermione entered through the portrait hole just then and joined them by the fire. “Finished your essays yet?”

“Getting there,” Ron said as Harry nodded.

“Someday you two won’t wait until the last minute,” she admonished. 

“If it all gets done by the time it’s due, does it really matter?” Ron challenged her.

Harry, who was not interested in his two best friends starting another fight changed the subject quickly. “Hermione, are you coming to Ron’s for Christmas this year?”  
Hermione looked at Ron for a moment, then back at Harry. “Er, no, Harry, I’m actually spending Christmas with my parents this year. I...wasn’t invited to the Burrow this year,” she said quietly.

Ron looked at her, “What do you mean you weren’t invited? You’re always invited,” he looked at Hermione as if this was common knowledge she should know by now. He was thinking back to the letter his mum had sent. It was just assumed that Harry would join them as he did every year they returned to the Burrow for Christmas. Mum had said Hermione could come as well if he wanted to extend the invitation, but Ron had figured she’d want to spend the time with her family. 

“You’re more than welcome to join us, you know. I guess I just figured you’d want to be with your family. You’ve missed the past couple years because of the Triwizard Tournament and then the whole thing with Dad..” Ron tried to explain his reasoning. He really did feel awful that he never actually invited her.

“It’s fine, Ron. You’re right, they’re excited to have me home for Christmas anyways.” She tried to hide her disappointment. “I’m a bit tired, so I’m going to go to bed. I’ll see you both at breakfast.”

Harry looked up at him as Hermione disappeared up the stairwell. “Smooth, Ron.”

“What? It’s not my fault! I just assumed she knew, you know? Kind of like how you just know you’re always coming home with us for the holidays if we don’t spend them here.”

“Uh, Ron? We spent the first four years here during Christmas.”

“Yes, but last year you were going to spend with us regardless! And I told you that Mum sent the letter saying you’d be…” Ron’s words slowed like a train pulling into a station as he realized the key point. He had told Harry, and hadn’t said a word to Hermione. “Bloody hell, mate, I did fuck up.”

Harry gave him an ‘I told you so’ look.

“Shove off, will you? You could always stay here by your lonesome if you keep that up.” Harry eyed Ron, knowing he was full of codswallop and he’d never do that. Ron looked sheepishly at him, presumably thinking the same thing.

They both went back to their essays, and were finished soon enough. As they packed their things and headed to the dormitory, Harry asked Ron, “Excited for Saturday?”

“I guess. I don’t really know what to expect.” Ron muttered.

“I wouldn’t expect much if I were you. It’s probably just going to be a chance for Slughorn to show off how well connected he is. I’d skip it if I could.” Harry said.

“Great, just the first date I’d always imagined.” Ron responded as he rolled his eyes.

“Sorry mate, I didn’t mean it like that! I’m sure you and Hermione will have a go of it.”

“Sure, between all the touting Slughorn will surely be doing about the ‘brightest witch of her age’ to anyone that’ll listen. And, since I mucked things up for Christmas, this is my one chance.”

“Don’t think about it too much, mate. It’ll be fine!”

Ron decided to drop it as he climbed into his four poster bed. “Thanks Harry. G’night.”

“Night,” Harry responded.

Ron lay awake for a while as his brain buzzed through the many scenarios that could happen at the party. He’d assumed that it would be something similar to the Yule Ball, but now he wasn’t so sure. He still hadn’t had any luck in telling her how he’d felt, and he was hoping that this would be the moment. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

* * *

Ron was waiting for Hermione in the common room the following evening, dressed in his navy blue robes that the twins had purchased for him. Harry was wearing the same ones he wore to the Yule Ball.

“I told Luna I’d meet her outside. I’ll see you at the party?” Harry told him.  
“Er, yeah.” Ron said as he was waiting for Hermione to emerge from the girl’s dormitory. When he turned he realized Harry was gone. 

“They take forever, don’t they?” Dean had appeared next to Ron now. He must have been waiting for Ginny.

“Yeah, they’re probably getting ready together,” Ron said as he shrugged. Dean wasn’t his favorite person, but it beat waiting alone.

Just then, Hermione and Ginny emerged from the staircase. Hermione was wearing a light pink cocktail dress that came down to her knees and was shaped with a V-cut at the top. Ron felt as though all the wind had been knocked out of him in that moment, as Hermione stared shyly back at him. Her lower lip had dropped slightly at the sight of him as if she were, no, that couldn’t be. Could it? The girls had reached Dean and Ron, and Ginny and Dean seemed to disappear from his side. All he could see was Hermione.

“You look really nice,” Ron managed to say.

Hermione smiled at him. “Thank you, you do too. I like the new robes.”

“Thanks,” Ron said. “Glad I was able to wear them before I grew again.”

She laughed lightly at his joke, which really wasn’t a joke at all. Every few months it looked as though he’d shot up another couple of inches. “Shall we?” she asked, and Ron followed her out of the portrait hole.

Slughorn had absolutely gone overboard on the decorations for the party. House elves were running around trying to manage trays of food and picking up after sloppy party goers. Ron turned toward Hermione in hopes that she hadn’t seen the house elves, but the look on her face indicated she had.

“Can you believe how he’s using them. Honestly!” She sounded exasperated.

“Er, have you met Slughorn, Hermione? As much as I get your frustration, are you really surprised?” Ron asked. Hermione pouted as they made their way further into the room.

Harry had already gotten caught up with Slughorn, and looked rather uncomfortable talking to someone who looked to have a vampire with them. For a second, Ron was worried Hermione was going to force them to go over and rescue him, but instead she gestured toward a quieter area of the room with some vacant chairs and what appeared to be a chess board.

“Want to go over there and avoid the attention?” Hermione asked as Ron nodded.

There was a wide open space in the middle of the room for mingling, with smaller cocktail tables and chairs surrounding the perimeter of the room. A band was playing, but the open space in the center wasn’t being used as a dance floor, and Ron was certain it wouldn’t be the entirety of the night. The thought filled him with both relief and disappointment. On the one hand, he didn’t have to worry about asking her to dance, or making a fool of himself by not knowing what to do, but he was also upset that he couldn’t use dancing as an excuse to have her close to him. 

They sat down on the two chairs that flanked either side of the small table with the chess board. 

“Are those glass chess pieces?” Hermione asked.

Ron gently picked one up. “Looks like it. Nothing but the best for his guests, right?” Hermione laughed. “We could play if you like, but I’m sure you didn’t invite me here to do something we could easily do in the common room..”

“I wouldn’t mind if you wanted -” Hermione was cut off by Professor Slughorn, who spotted them from a few paces away.

“Ms. Granger! There you are!” he boomed. Hermione and Ron both stood up to say hello, since that was the polite thing to do. Not that Slughorn still had any clue what Ron’s name was.

“Hello, Professor Slughorn, thank you for the invite. The party is wonderful!” Hermione was clearly lying through her teeth, and Ron had to bite back a laugh.

“So glad you could make it, so glad indeed.” Professor Slughorn gestured to the two men standing beside him. “Have you met Mr. Fawley, of the Magical Law Enforcement office and Mr. Robards, head of the Auror office? Gentleman, Miss Granger is the brightest witch of her age. Truly wonderful, could do anything she sets her mind to. Miss Granger, these two would be highly influential contacts should you be interested in a job at the Ministry following graduation.”

Hermione blushed profusely as Ron watched on blankly. “Thank you, Professor Slughorn. It’s so nice to meet you both. I’m not sure a career in law enforcement is for me, but Ron here aspires to be an auror following our Hogwarts education.” Hermione gently raised her hand to pat Ron’s arm affectionately as Mr. Robards attention turned to him in particular.

“Want to be an auror, do you?” Robards said gruffly. “What was your name again?”

“Ron Weasley, sir.”

“Weasley, eh? Earned all the appropriate O.W.L.’s did you?”

“Yes, sir. E’s in everything, and I’ve continued with all the appropriate courses.”

“Very good. Got any other skills that would set you apart from other candidates?” Robards asked.

Ron’s mind went blank for a moment and he wasn’t quite sure what to say. Everything he’d done with Harry would probably be frowned upon since he broke so many school rules. He did his best to put his doubts aside and talked about what he could. “Er, I’m sure there’s many things.” Robards eyed him oddly. “It’s the occupational hazard of being Harry Potter’s best friend.” He shrugged before continuing, “I was there the night of the attack on the Department of Mysteries, and I received a special award for services to the school back in my second year for helping defeat Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets.” 

“Interesting,” said Robards, who was clearly thinking about what Ron had said. He looked as if he’d also given a nod of approval before Hermione cut in.  
“Ron, don’t forget you single-handedly defeated Professor McGonagall’s live chess set in a match our first year.”

Robards turned to him again, “Like strategy, do you?”

“Yeah, reckon I do,” Ron said.

“That a chess set behind you there? Up for a round?” Robards asked.

“Er, sure.” Ron couldn’t believe he was about to play the head of the auror office in a round of chess. If he was being honest, he was excited to have more of a challenge. He turned to Hermione to make sure she was okay with it. She smiled and nodded at him. As he went to take the seat across from Robards, she whispered in his ear that she was going to get drinks for them. 

As they set in for a round, Ron quickly realized this was the biggest challenge he’d had since McGonagall’s live set back in first year. He kept his head about him, staying focused on each move Robards was making, and fully weighing his options. He was starting to feel as though this was more of a test of his skill, and focused even more heavily on making the appropriate moves to put Robards in check sooner. Hermione had gotten back some time ago, but Ron refused to let it distract him.

In just a few more moves, Ron had placed Robards in checkmate and won the match. Robards shook his hand in congratulations and said, “I’m impressed. I’ll be on the lookout for your application in a little over a year’s time.”

As he walked away, Ron turned to Hermione who had the biggest grin on her face. “That was brilliant, Ron! I think he was really impressed with your skills.”

“Er, yeah, thanks Hermione.” He took a butterbeer from her as Harry and Luna walked over.

“Harry, you’ll never guess what just happened! Professor Slughorn introduced us to Mr. Robards, you know, the head of the Auror office? He really wanted me to be making the connection, but I deflected it to Ron because he wants to be an auror and..”

“Okay, Hermione, I’m sure Harry doesn’t want to hear about it,” Ron said as his ears reddened.

“No, mate, tell me what happened! Your night sounds way better than ours so far.” Harry urged him to go on.

“Er, well, he just asked some questions, found out I liked chess, and I played a match with him just now.”

“That’s brilliant!” Harry said, clapping him on the back.

“It appears that you were victorious. Congratulations,” said Luna.

“How did you..” Hermione asked.  
“Well, the way you’re both situated on this side of the chess board, and how the chess pieces have been left indicates that the person on this side of the board won.”

“Er, yeah, I did,” said Ron.

“Brilliant!” Harry exclaimed.

The small group gathered around the table and spent the rest of the evening laughing at the obscenely dressed guests. Luna had insisted she and Harry go spend some time with Ginny and Dean, so Ron and Hermione were left alone again.

“So…” Ron said at the lull.

“Want to get out of here? It’s starting to get late anyways,” Hermione said.

“Oh, sure, if that’s what you want.” Ron couldn’t tell what Hermione really wanted. Was she not having a good time when it was just the two of them? No, that was ridiculous. She was probably just tired and wanted to check that she’d have time to make sure her things were gathered for the holidays.

As they quietly exited the party, they walked slowly back towards Gryffindor tower. Ron interrupted their silence. “Thanks for inviting me, Hermione. I had a really good time.”

Hermione smiled at him and said, “Me, too. I’m so excited that you had a chance to talk to Robards. I was really hoping Professor Slughorn would overhear all of your accomplishments and see what he was missing, but that part backfired. It doesn’t matter though because you’ve got a connection now with the Auror office.”She stopped herself from gushing too much. She didn’t want to bore him with a play by play he was clearly present for. 

“It’s fine, Hermione. Really. I think you were right about the Slug Club after all. I’ll keep my free nights I get to spend in the common room.” He grinned as she rolled her eyes and playfully pushed his arm away. 

They walked a few more paces before he decided that he should apologize for not inviting her to the Burrow. “Listen, Hermione, about last night. I’m sorry I never officially invited you for Christmas. I really thought I’d mentioned it, until I remembered reading the letter out loud and only Harry was there to hear it. You know you’re welcome anytime..”

“It’s okay, Ron. I was thinking about it, and you made a good point. I haven’t spent Christmas with my parents since first year.”

“You could still come out for an overnight...if you wanted of course.” Ron added.

“I’d like that,” Hermione smiled.

By now, they’d approached Gryffindor tower, and had stopped just outside the portrait hole. Both were stalling, not knowing what the other wanted, but hoping nonetheless for something more to end the evening.

“I had a really nice time tonight..” Ron said.

“Me too..” Hermione responded. 

Bloody hell I already said that once. Come on, Weasley get it together, will you? “Maybe, er, maybe next Hogsmeade weekend we could er…” go together? Finish the sentence, will you?! “...go, you know, uh, together?” Ron sputtered, but managed to get it out.

“I’d like that very much,” Hermione had accepted his invitation. 

“Brilliant,” he said. 

He stood there a moment longer before he found himself leaning forward to kiss her cheek. She’d done the same for him the day of the quidditch match so surely it’d be fine, right? He was wrapped up in the scent of her perfume, the perfume he’d gotten her last Christmas, that had hints of lavender and vanilla, the same scent he smelled in the amortentia back in September. As a result, he lingered close to her face after his lips had touched her soft cheek. It was in that lingering moment that Hermione was moving to close the gap between her lips and his. Ron could feel her closeness and closed his eyes in anticipation of kissing her for the first time. If only he could tune out the prat who was running full throttle down the corridor.

“Ron! Hermione! Is that you?” Ron and Hermione jumped apart, the moment once again lost as Harry was rushing hurriedly toward them. “You’ll never guess what you just missed. Thank God I had the invisibility cloak with me!” Harry was breathing heavily between his rushed statements. Harry continued prattling on about Snap and Draco as Ron and Hermione shared a shy glance behind his back. Maybe next time, Ron thought. The third time has to be the charm...right?


	5. Close Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Ron's birthday, so you know what that means..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing to follow the story!

It had been more than two months, and the so-called ‘charm,’ the third time, had not yet come even remotely close to happening. Ron was sulking at breakfast because the Hogsmeade trip had been cancelled. The odds just continued to stack up against him. Hermione’s parents had rescheduled the skiing trip they’d planned the year before, so she couldn’t come visit over the Christmas hols. Their schoolwork was piling higher and higher, and Ron was desperate for a break.

He’d planned everything out, well sort of, for that Hogsmeade trip. It was supposed to be his and Hermione’s second date, and it was scheduled for March 1st, his seventeenth birthday. None of that mattered anymore. What was worse, though, was he hadn’t planned anything spectacular for Valentine’s Day because the Hogsmeade trip was just two weeks after. Ron was hoping to make it up to Hermione then. Not that it mattered because he and Hermione were scheduled for rounds on February 14th anyways. The most they had done was brush the backs of each other’s hands as they patrolled the halls. 

Fate seemed to be torturing him. Sure, he’d surprised her with her favorite box of sugar quills, which earned him a longer than usual hug, but he was planning to take her to all of her favorite spots and purchase something for her that she appeared to want, but would talk herself out of buying because it wasn’t ‘practical.’ He’d been saving every knut he had to be able to do that, and now, he had one day to try to order something by owl. It’s impossible, he thought, maybe this just isn’t meant to happen.

“Er, Ron?” Harry had been trying to get his attention for who knows how long. “Are you finished? We’re going to be late to Herbology if we don’t get going.”

“What? Oh, yeah, I guess.” Ron got up to join Harry on the walk over to the greenhouses. Hermione had left breakfast a while ago, needing to check who knows what in the library.

“Bad luck that the Hogsmeade’s trip was cancelled..” Harry stated.

“Tell me about it. Now I have to rethink the entire day.” Ron said frustratedly.

“Well, I’m sure there are other things you could do instead. Plenty of other people certainly manage..” Harry shrugged. Ron had told him over Christmas that he’d asked Hermione out to Hogsmeade on the next trip after Slughorn’s party. Fred and George kept spiking his eggnog with firewhiskey every time he wasn’t looking, so by the time they’d gone up to bed, Ron was pretty well intoxicated. He’d also called Harry out on ruining a ‘very important moment’ when he ran into them outside the portrait hole in his drunken state. Harry laughed at the recollection.

“Oi, what’s so funny?” Ron asked.

“Nothing,” Harry said quickly. He didn’t know how much Ron remembered from that night. Neither had brought up the conversation since then. “Just, I don’t know, go for a walk? You could set up a study date in an empty classroom, you know she’d love that.”

“Since when have you become a master at dating witches?” Ron wasn’t going to admit that Harry had given some pretty good ideas.

“Just trying to be helpful,” Harry said as they entered Greenhouse 2 today. “I’ll keep my ideas to myself then if you aren’t appreciative.” Ron shook his head as they took their seats at the table where Hermione was already waiting and ready to start the lesson.

* * *

It was Saturday morning, Ron’s seventeenth birthday, but he and Harry were nowhere to be found. Hermione was sitting at breakfast, having finally agreed to joining Ginny because Dean said the boys weren’t in the dormitory. She didn’t understand it. They wouldn’t have gone off and done something ridiculous without her, would they? She could have sworn Ron told her he’d meet her in the common room to go down to breakfast in the morning. Her knee was bouncing so hard with anxiety that finally Ginny looked up at her.

“Hermione, I’m sure they’re fine, you’ve got to calm down,” Ginny told her. Hermione glared at her and went back to picking at her food. 

Just then, Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall and was looking down the Gryffindor table with a sense of urgency about her. She hurriedly rushed over and to where Ginny and Hermione were sitting.

“Miss Weasley, you need to come with me straight away,” Professor McGonagall said.

“What’s happened?” Ginny asked.

“I cannot tell you right now, but we need to go to the hospital wing. Miss Granger, you better come, too.”

Hermione and Ginny got up quickly and followed her into the corridor to head towards the hospital wing. 

“I’m afraid there was some sort of accident in Professor Slughorn’s office this morning, resulting in Mr. Weasley being poisoned.”

“What?!” both girls said in unison.

“But, how?” Hermione was shaking her head in disbelief.

“Mr. Potter will be able to retell what happened to all of us when we get there. I do not know much of the details yet myself. I was instructed to fetch you as soon as I was informed.”

“Is he going to be alright?” Ginny asked. She had this shocked deer in the headlights stare on her face. 

“As far as I know, yes. He is currently stable. We’ve owled your parents as well.” Professor McGonagall said.

This could not be happening. Hermione’s brain was reeling. It was bad enough the Hogsmeade trip had been canceled. She was looking forward to their second date. She’d been saving his present for whatever surprise he had planned for her later. She still wasn’t sure why he was planning the surprise when it was his birthday. 

Professor McGonagall flicked her wand to open the doors to the hospital wing, and swept in with Ginny and Hermione in her wake.

Hermione and Ginny rushed over to Harry, who was standing next to the bed that Ron was currently laying in. His face was so white and he was laying so still that Hermione thought he could be dead. No, no, no, no, no, was all she could think.

“Mr. Potter, would you care to explain the events that caused this?” Professor McGonagall said gently.

Harry stared at Ron for a moment before he spoke. “Ron woke up this morning and was opening his presents. Somehow the box of chocolate cauldrons got mixed up in his pile. You know, the ones from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes with the love potion Romilda gave me.” He looked at Ginny and Hermione for that clarification. “So Ron started talking about how in love he was with Romilda and how he wanted me to introduce them. I finally realized after he punched me for laughing at him what he’d eaten. So, I brought him to Professor Slughorn for an antidote. He returned to normal after he drank the antidote, but it made him kind of depressed. Professor Slughorn suggested a pick me up and poured us each a small glass of this bottle of mead he had. Ron drank before we did, and immediately fell to the ground. He was convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Professor Slughorn froze so I ran to the stock drawers to get a bezoar, and stuffed it down Ron’s throat, which made him calm.”

“Just in time, too, by the looks of it. Had you acted any later, he likely wouldn’t have made it,” Madam Pomfrey had appeared out of nowhere and was now tending to Ron. “It will be several hours before he wakes, but he will make a full recovery.”

“Thank you, Harry, for informing us. I will be meeting with Professor Dumbledore about this with Professor Slughorn. Poppy, may they stay here by Mr. Weasley’s side for the time being?” Professor McGonagall had asked.

“Only if they remain quiet. My patients need rest!” Madam Pomfrey told them sternly. Professor McGonagall nodded and turned to leave. Madam Pomfrey went back to her office.

“Harry, he could have-” Hermione started.

“I know,” Harry responded.

“Er-My-Nee,”* came Ron’s broken, unconscious voice from the hospital bed.

“What did he just say?” asked Ginny, raising an eyebrow at Hermione.

“Sounded like-” Harry was cut off by Hermione.

“It was probably nothing. Should be a good sign that he’s talking though, right?” Hermione quickly interjected.

They all dragged chairs around Ron’s bed, and sat there quietly. Hermione was finding herself lost in thought. She couldn’t focus on much of anything, as she watched Ron’s breathing. He had almost died. I’ve been so worried about studies and prefect duties that I’ve barely made any time for him thinking I’d have today, or the next time, but he was poisoned today. If Harry hadn’t used that bezoar… She wouldn’t allow herself to finish that thought. He’s going to be okay. Focus on that. 

Hermione tried to distract herself with what Ron could have possibly planned in place of the Hogsmeade trip for today. He was insistent that they still have their date somehow, and the thought made her insides flip flop. She’d gotten him a practical gift to open. A book on quidditch, and a book on the muggle sport of football, so Ron could compare the two. But she’d also been planning something else. Something she’d hoped he would like more. For one, she was going to make sure they were alone, actually alone, for whatever Ron had planned. They’d almost kissed twice now, and probably even a third time if you counted the alcove, and she wasn’t going to waste that chance anymore. There had to be something more between them, her brain couldn’t deny that. She couldn’t stop thinking of those moments. 

Hermione’s thoughts were interrupted by some half attempts at conversation by Harry and Ginny, and when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had arrived. Madam Pomfrey had brought them sandwiches around lunchtime that they’d all picked at, and the next time Hermione checked the clock it was nearing 6:00. 

“Maybe we should head down and get something to eat in the Great Hall,” Ginny suggested. “Madam Pomfrey said he may not even wake up today, after all.”

“Er, I guess so, but I’m coming back until Madam Pomfrey kicks us out,” Harry said as he rose from his chair.

“Hermione, are you coming?” Ginny asked.

“No, I’ll stay here.” Ginny and Harry gave her pleading looks. “I’m not leaving,” she said firmly.

Harry sighed as Ginny said, “Alright. We’ll bring you back some dinner, and maybe a book or two if you’d like. Anything in particular?”

“Thank you, Ginny. If you brought my school bag, that would be fine,” Hermione said gratefully.

Ginny nodded as she and Harry walked out. Hermione was alone with Ron, and the tears started pouring uncontrollably down her face. Without thinking, she’d taken his hand in hers, and sat there like that for a while.

It was nearing an hour of her holding his hand like that when he’d started to stir. Hermione immediately pulled her hand back as his eyes opened slowly. When he was finally able to focus his sight on her, he started to smile.

“Hey,” he said.

“You’re awake!” Hermione was so thankful in that moment that tears welled in her eyes again.

“Barely,” he whispered. His voice sounded rough. “What happened?”

“What do you remember?” she asked.

“Romilda’s bloody cauldron cakes, Sluggy’s antidote, and a glass of mead. Everything’s black after that.”

“The mead was poisoned. Professor Slughorn apparently froze in shock and if Harry hadn’t thought to shove a bezoar down your throat, you’d be…” Hermione couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Hey, don’t worry about that now. I’m fine, see?”

“Don’t you dare try and move right now! You’re in pain!” Hermione said as he winced from trying to sit up. “Happy Birthday, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Ron grinned. “I can’t wait to start those two books. You may have to help me with the muggle football one, though.”

“You’re welcome. I thought you’d like the comparison.”

“Yeah...I’m sorry I ruined our date,” Ron said apologetically.

“Don’t be, you obviously weren’t planning for this to happen.”

“Nope, not at all.”

“Mind telling me what you did have planned?” Hermione asked.

“Well, I was planning for us to take a walk around the castle, and then I had the perfect empty classroom picked out so you could study to your heart’s content without any distractions, except from me. Though, now that I’m saying it out loud it sounds bloody awful.”

Hermione was smiling from ear to ear. “No, Ron, I actually think it sounds perfect. We could always plan for it another weekend?”

“Er, yeah, sure.” 

They were silent for a moment before Hermione said, “I know the books probably weren’t the best gift, but I was planning to give you one more thing.” She had no idea where that statement had come from. Well, that was a lie, she did, she just couldn’t believe she’d actually said it out loud.

“Oh? Do I not get it now that I’ve been poisoned?” Ron tried to laugh, but it turned into a dry cough instead. “ ‘M fine!”

“I mean, if you’re interested, I guess I could show you still. You can’t really take it back, though you know, if you don’t like it.”

“Hermione, I’d love anything that came from you.” Ron’s ears burned after he’d said that.

“Okay, then. Close your eyes.”

“What? Why?” Ron was confused.

“Don’t you want it to be a surprise?” Hermione asked.

“Oh, alright then.” He closed his eyes.

“And no peeking!” Hermione let out a giggle as Ron smiled guiltily at her.

“Okay! Okay!” he said. 

Hermione leaned in slowly and closed her own eyes as her lips gently pressed against his. It wasn’t like the time their lips had accidentally brushed before the match. This was no doubt an actual kiss. It took Ron a moment to realize what was happening, but when he caught on he kissed her gently back. Hermione pulled away and sat back down on the chair. Her face was pink and she shyly looked at Ron, who was smiling widely at her.

“Thanks, Hermione. Told you I’d love it,” Ron said. She smiled back at him. “You know,” Ron started to say, “I’ve been waiting-”

“Oh, good, Mr. Weasley you’re awake!” Madam Pomfrey came bustling over and cut Ron off. “It’s near time to take these potions. They will make you sleep again, but you need the sleep in order to heal. If you don’t sleep, the healing will take significantly longer.” She poured various potions down Ron’s throat.

Ginny and Harry had just re-entered the hospital wing and realized Ron was awake.

“Ron, you’re awake!” Ginny sounded so relieved.

“Mate, I’m so sorry. How are you feeling?” Harry asked quickly.

“Er, been better,” Ron said in a woozy voice. He was already falling asleep again.

“I’m sorry, but he’s going to be out for a long while again. He likely won’t remember waking up in the first place because of the mix of potions.” Madam Pomfrey said.

“What do you mean?” Hermione said urgently.

“Exactly as I said,” Madam Pomfrey sounded affronted. He has one more dose of the full amount of potions that will need to be given overnight. During those three doses, he may wake up, but won’t remember anything until the full doses are completed. Once I take two of these potions out of the mix, he’ll be more alert and his memory will be as normal.”

“You mean, he won’t remember our conversation just now? Or anything that happened?” Hermione asked weakly.

“No. He won’t. Now, since he’s out again, I do suggest you three head back to your common room. He should be up and awaiting visitors by midday tomorrow.” Madam Pomfrey all but shooed them from the Hospital Wing.

Hermione could not believe this was happening. They’d finally kissed, and he wouldn’t remember it. 

“Hermione, are you alright? Did something happen?” Ginny asked.

“What? No, no, I’m fine,” Hermione said quickly. “We just talked. I filled him in on what happened. He was pretty out of it,” she lied.

“Don’t worry, we’ll spend the whole of tomorrow with him!” Harry tried reassuring her, but nothing could take away the disappointment that was creeping into her heart at that moment. She took one more look at Ron in his hospital bed before closing the large oak doors to the hospital wing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Quote from HBP
> 
> I didn't include it, but I imagine that Harry, Ginny and Hermione would run into Fred and George as they were exiting the hospital wing, so that part of canon also remained true. It just didn't fit in with how I wanted the chapter to end.


	6. Round and Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Ron remember anything? Will Hermione pluck up the courage to try it again?

Hermione tossed and turned that night. She was relieved that Ron would be alright, but she couldn’t get Madam Pomfrey’s words out of her head. Maybe she’s wrong, Hermione thought. She’d finally resolved to just talk to Ron tomorrow when he was awake and see.

She woke early and rushed down to breakfast. This time, Hermione had remembered to bring her bag with her on the off chance Ron was sleeping so she could get some work done. More students were starting to trickle into the Great Hall as Hermione finished and was leaving. She made her way straight to the hospital wing, and quietly opened the doors to enter. Ron was still the only occupant of the room, and Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be found, so Hermione made her way over and sat on the chair at Ron’s side. To her disappointment, Ron was still sleeping. Well, Madam Pomfrey did say he would be awake by midday. Better to be early, I suppose. Hermione quietly pulled out her Ancient Runes text and began reading for an assignment. Hermione had become so engrossed in her work that she hadn’t heard Ron wake next to her.

“Hermione?” Ron asked hoarsely.

“Oh! Ron! You’re awake!” Hermione closed her book and shoved it hastily in her bag.  
“Yeah. Feel like I’ve been run over by a hippogriff. What happened?”

“You don’t remember anything...at all?” Hermione asked warily.

“I...remember being in Slughorn’s office, but I also feel like I’ve been here a while. It’s all kind of blurry. What day is it?”

“It’s, it’s Sunday.” Hermione looked crestfallen.

“Hermione, what’s wrong?” Ron struggled to sit up, but somehow managed. The potions were working. “Is it because our date was ruined yesterday?”

“What? No! Of course not! Ron, you were poisoned and almost died. I’m really glad you’re okay.”

Ron looked at her, trying to figure out what was really going on. Her facial expression was not matching what she was saying. “Hermione, did something else happen?”

“It’s nothing, Ron, really. Happy belated birthday.” Hermione smiled at him. She did not want to cause anymore stress to him by being upset over something he couldn’t remember.

“Thanks. So I’ve been out since yesterday morning?” Ron asked.

“Yes. I mean, you woke up once yesterday, and we talked a bit around dinnertime, but then Madam Pomfrey gave you your next dose of potions and you fell right back to sleep.”

“Oh, I don’t...remember anything. I’m sorry. Hopefully I’ll remember this conversation.” He smiled weakly.

“I should hope so! Madam Pomfrey said you’ll be off the ones that make you sleep as much now.” Hermione turned as she heard the doors open and Harry walked in.

“You’re awake!” he cried from across the room. “You really scared me there, mate.”

“Yeah. It’s bad enough Slughorn can’t remember my name, but why would he try and poison me?” So Harry reminded Ron in detail of the events leading to him occupying the hospital bed he was currently laying in.

“So what are the chances Sluggy will call me by the proper surname now?” Ron asked as Harry and Hermione burst out laughing. 

The trio settled in and talked for a while. Ginny came in and visited, and Madam Pomfrey checked on Ron frequently. It was nearing time for lunch when Harry suggested they go down and grab something to eat. 

“I can stay here, Harry, it’s fine,” Hermione told him.

Ron cut her off by saying, “No, Hermione, I will be fine. you need to go eat. I can take a nap and then we can spend the rest of the afternoon together, but you aren’t skipping a meal on my account.”

Hermione looked at him as though to argue, but she knew not to argue with him right now. “Fine, but we won’t be gone very long.”

“Harry, maybe you could grab some of the books I got yesterday that are in the dorm? I’m pretty sure I’ve read most of the magazines that are already here.”

“Sure, mate.” Harry said.

“What about any schoolwork?” Hermione asked.

“I don’t get a free pass while I’m here? I almost just died you know.” Harry snorted at Ron’s words as Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Fine, books it is, and no homework. Let’s go, Harry.”

Ron watched them walk out of the hospital wing as he thought about his conversation with Hermione earlier. She really did seem upset about something, and he wished she would just tell him. He felt like he was missing something important that happened between them, but no matter how hard he thought, no part of the conversation would come to him. Ron drifted off to sleep thinking about it.

A little while later Ron had awoken from a wonderful dream. He and Hermione had gone on their second date after all. They strolled around the castle, and then Ron brought her to an empty classroom to do some studying. He’d told her that it was probably a lame date, but she said it was perfect. They talked about the books she’d gifted to him, and then she said she had one more gift. They kissed in the dream, but in an odd way it felt real. The only weird part was he was wearing the hospital gown Madam Pomfrey had insisted on. 

As he slowly came back into consciousness Ron couldn’t shake the feeling that it’d seemed a little too real. There was no way that could have happened. Maybe he’d ask Hermione if they were alone again. He looked down at the blankets covering him. He’d also ask Harry to bring him some of his clothes from the dorm, too. He hated the stupid hospital wear.

* * *

Hermione had fallen into a routine while Ron remained in the hospital that week. She’d visit him in the morning before classes, and returned after dinner in the evenings. Ron listened carefully as Hermione would give him the rundown of what happened in class on any particular day, and was even obliging Hermione by trying to catch up on some of his work. 

Madam Pomfrey was adamant about not releasing Ron until Sunday. He was starting to feel guilty that Hermione was spending all of her free time in the hospital wing with him. She still hadn’t told him what was bothering her from last Sunday, and the dream continued to linger in the back of his mind. There was no way he was going to bring that up, though. 

“Er, Hermione?” Ron said

“Yes?” Hermione was working on the newest Herbology assignment Professor Sprout had set for the weekend. 

“If you have somewhere else to be, don’t feel like you need to stay here with me..” he trailed off.

Hermione stopped writing and looked up at him. “Do you not want me here? I can go if I’m bothering you.” She became worried, but her worry was coming off as defensive in her voice.

“No! I like you being here. It’s nice having company, especially when Harry’s preparing for the match tomorrow. I just don’t want you feeling obligated, that’s all.” Ron responded quickly, so as not to make Hermione think he was trying to get rid of her. 

“Oh. Well, I’d rather be here with you than in the common room. And it’s just as quiet here as it is in the library,” Hermione reasoned. “Are you looking forward to being free on Sunday?”

“You have no idea. I’ve been feeling fine for three days now. I think she won’t let me leave because I’ll defy orders and try and play in the match anyhow.”

“She’s got a point. Especially if you saw how rubbish they are without you.”

“I’m sure Harry’s just saying that-”

“He’s not! The whole team has been complaining about Cormac. The team dynamic is off and they might well lose because of it. I could see you doing something noble and trying to play to spare them of his idiocy.” Hermione laughed at her own words.

“Fair enough, then.” Ron chuckled at her words. “How were rounds last night?”

“Awful. I mean, I don’t mind Ernie, and I’m thankful he agreed to pick up your shift, but he just talked and talked the entire time, and I could barely get a word in edgewise. It felt like it was never going to end.”

“Ah, good thing I’ll be back at it next week then!”

“You have no idea.” They smiled at each other.

There was a small silence in which Ron felt the urge to bring up Sunday’s conversation with her. “Hermione, you said on Sunday we’d talked a bit on Saturday before I went out of it again..” Ron started.

“It- It really wasn’t that big of a deal, Ron, I promise. What’s making you think of it again? Hermione asked.

“I dunno. I just can’t seem to shake the feeling that it was a big deal.” Ron wasn’t going to mention the dream.

Hermione contemplated what to say for a moment. It wasn’t as easy as simply saying, oh, well we postponed the sweet idea of a date that you had planned and then I kissed you. What a stupid idea that had been. An ‘extra’ birthday present. But then Hermione thought back to it. He smiled, and seemed to have liked it. It was probably just the potions.

“Er, Hermione?” Ron broke her out of the thought she’d got caught up in.

“What? Oh, sorry.” Hermione said, still without any sort of response.

“So it was a bigger deal than you’re letting on, wasn’t it?”

Ugh, why is he being so perceptive! “I’d just given you that last part of your birthday present, that’s all,” Hermione said with an exasperated sigh. 

Ron stared at her. “You got me more than the two books? I must really be out of it still because I didn’t see anything else here. Did I misplace it?” Ron was looking around the bed and Hermione’s cheeks were burning. 

“It’s not, It’ wasn’t...a thing,” Hermione said, completely mortified.

“...A thing?” Ron was confused.

“Like a book, or Keeper’s gloves, you know?” Hermione was staring at the parchment she’d long since stopped working on.

Ron was thinking. “Not a thing...so, like, did you show me something?” His thinking had turned out loud and once he realized what he said his eyes widened. “No, not like that, come on Hermione you’ve got to give me a little more than that.”

“No, no, I didn’t show you anything. It was more, an...an action.”

“An...action?” Surely, Ron’s dream couldn’t have mirrored some form of reality that had happened. “Were you...planning to gift that action again?” Ron asked.

“I-” The large oak doors opened abruptly and Ginny and Harry trudged in looking incredibly upset.

“Ron, are you sure there’s no way you can play tomorrow?” Ginny was beside herself in anger. “McLaggen is the absolute WORST! We are going to lose because of him.”

“Ginny, you know he’d play if he could, but Madam Pomfrey won’t let that happen. Why do you think she’s keeping him here until Sunday? She’s probably charmed the door in case he makes a run for it.” Harry was trying to calm her down.

Hermione laughed at that, and was kind of relieved they’d burst in. She was afraid of putting herself out there again. Ron, on the other hand, was about to lose his mind. Of course he wanted to be out there on the pitch with them, but they’d just ruined his would-be breakthrough with Hermione. Maybe the universe is trying to send me a sign, he thought. 

The conversation continued about the dismal practice they’d just had until Madam Pomfrey came in and kicked them out for the night. Hermione gathered her things and walked out behind Harry and Ginny. As she stopped at the door, she looked back at Ron and gave him a sympathetic smile and wave. He’d made her promise she’d go to the match so she could tell him everything that happened. Hermione agreed even though it meant losing a few hours alone with him tomorrow. She was starting to lose hope of anything happening at this point as she shut the doors on her way out.


	7. Surprises and Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected 'prefect meeting' find Ron and Hermione alone again. Will they finally sort things out?

It had been two weeks since Madam Pomfrey released Ron from the Hospital Wing, and he was finally getting caught up with the work he’d missed. He didn’t want to think about how long it would have taken him if Hermione had not insisted he do some of the work with her. Quidditch practice and prefect duties certainly weren’t helping him get caught up any faster. 

Ron currently found himself on rounds with Hannah Abbott, having offered to take one of Ernie’s spots to thank him for covering while he was in the hospital. Hermione was right. It wasn’t the same doing rounds without her, and while Hannah was nice, and undoubtedly easier to talk to than Ernie, she wasn’t Hermione. Which brought Ron back to the same situation that’d been playing in his mind more often than he’d like to admit. What was she going to say before Harry interrupted? What happened the first time he woke up after he’d been poisoned? He didn’t want to say he was becoming obsessed with the thought, at least not like Harry was becoming with Draco, but he felt like he wouldn’t be able to rest until he got to the bottom of it. So as he was patrolling the halls with Hannah he began to formulate a plan. A plan that would result in the second date they never managed to have, but would be a complete surprise to Hermione.

A few days later, the trio were on their way back to the Gryffindor common room from dinner, when Ron asked, “Are you planning to revise in the common room or library tonight?” They both knew Harry was going to sit by the fire and study the map, so Ron didn’t have to worry about him foiling anything.

“Um, I was going to get a few things and spend a couple hours in the library, I think. Why?” Hermione said.

“Oh, well on rounds the other night, Hannah mentioned she and Ernie wanted to meet with us and Ravenclaw prefects to come up with a new partner schedule. They thought it might be a good idea to switch some things up on rounds, but figured we should formulate a plan before bringing it to the Heads. They wanted to meet tonight in a…” Ron checked his watch, “half hour. Did I forget to mention that?”

“Er, yes, you did. How long do you think it’ll take?” Hermione didn’t look happy, as Ron expected.

“Probably no more than an hour. Less, I’d think, really. We can bring our bags and still head to the library after, if you want a study partner that is..” Ron hoped he was coming off as casually as possible. His heart was racing, hoping she’d go along with it.

“Sure, I guess that’s fine.” Hermione was thinking before she said, “Are you really interested in that, though? Switching partners up?”

“I figured we could be open to at least listen to what they have to say.” Ron shrugged nonchalantly. “As long as I don’t get paired with Padma...I don’t think she’s quite forgiven me for the Yule Ball yet.” 

Harry snorted at Ron’s comment as Hermione looked between them. She’d honestly forgotten he was still walking with them. “I highly doubt that, Ron,” Hermione said.

Ron didn’t respond right away, but as they entered the common room said, “Want to head out in twenty then? I’ve got to check a few things upstairs, but I’ll meet you back here in a bit?”

“Sure,” Hermione said as she watched him carefully. Something was off, but she couldn’t quite tell what it was. She shook it out of her mind as she went up to her own dorm to gather her things.

Just as Ron said, he was back down waiting in the common room for Hermione when she walked down the stairs. He’d brought his bags with a few books, but hoped he wouldn’t need them. “All set, then?” he asked.

Hermione double checked her bag and said, “Yes.” They exited through the portrait hole and had walked a ways before Hermione spoke again. “I don’t think this is a good idea, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Ron asked.

“Switching partners. It’s just, it makes more sense to be paired with a housemate than not. You don’t have to meet in a certain spot, and you stay together from start to finish. At this rate, we’ve all got things down and we know what to expect. Even just patrolling with Ernie that one time I felt like everything was off. He and Hannah clearly had one way of doing things, and you and I were slightly different. Surely you noticed the same with Hannah?” Hermione knew she was ranting, but didn’t care. She looked forward to the (mostly) uninterrupted hours she’d have with Ron on patrol, and was not interested in changing that now. “Plus, we’re halfway through March! There’s not that much time left in the year..”

Ron was smirking at her and trying to hold back a laugh. “Hermione, I’m not saying I disagree with you. Let’s just hear them out, we’ll all vote and then figure it out from there. Besides, we may not be including the Slytherins now, but if we were to actually bring that to the Heads, you know we’d have to involve them eventually. That would be enough for everyone to turn it down.”

“Yes, yes, that’s true. Which classroom? The usual?”

“Yeah, right up here.” Ron said as they approached the door. He held it open for her and followed her in. 

“First ones again it seems,” Hermione said as she was busy lighting the room. She turned to Ron and noticed him flick his wrist with his wand towards the door. Did he just use a nonverbal spell? Why would he use a spell on the door? “Er, Ron, what was that?”

“What was what?” he asked.

“You...did you not just use a nonverbal spell on the door?

“Oh, yeah, guess I did. Didn’t want to be interrupted.”

“Interrupted? What do you mean?” Hermione was staring suspiciously at him.

“I may have made the whole partner meeting up..” Ron said guiltily.

“What? Why?” Hermione was confused. She leaned against one of the tables so that she was half sitting on it.

Ron walked toward her and sat next to her. “Well, I wanted to make that second date up to you, and wanted to surprise you with it. It’s kind of lame when you think about it, but I thought you might like some private revising time.”

Hermione stared at him as she thought of the conversation they’d had the night of his birthday. Well, of course he still hasn’t remembered anything, this was his plan before he’d been poisoned..

“If you’d rather just go to the library, we can..” Ron stood up to make his way to the door.

“No!” Ron turned around at Hermione’s exclamation. “This is perfect, and so sweet of you. I’d like to stay.” Hermione got up and brought her bag around to sit in the chair and take some of her work out.

Ron broke into the lop-sided grin that Hermione loved so much. “So you’re not mad I brought you here on false pretenses?” He followed suit and sat in the chair next to her.

Hermione laughed, “No, I suppose not. I guess I was more worried that you didn’t want to be my prefect partner anymore, and this was all a ruse you and Hannah concocted to switch..”

“Nah, that’s not it at all. If that ever did come up, I’d tell them no. Don’t worry,” Ron smiled at her.

“So would I,” Hermione agreed. “Very clever of you though, to use the same classroom and the guise of a prefect’s meeting that I did back in November. I’ll have to dock originality points from that.” Hermione gave him the best version of a smirk as she could.

“Oh, so now you’re docking points on the, what was it? Oh right, ‘perfect’ plan,” Ron scoffed playfully.

Hermione laughed as they both settled into their work. Every now and then, Ron would ask Hermione to look over something, and manage to inadvertently move his chair closer to hers each time. Hermione had just finished explaining what he should add to his theory on the reductor curse when Ron reached into his bag and pulled out a box. “What’s that?” she asked curiously.

“Thought you might want a snack, so I had Dobby get us some cauldron cakes. Don’t worry!” he said quickly, seeing the look on her face, “I compensated him for his services.” Ron opened the box and handed her one.

“Thank you,” Hermione said. “You really did think of everything, haven’t you?”

Ron shrugged as his ears turned slightly pink. “It’s not much, really.”

Hermione smiled at him. “It doesn’t need to be. I’m just happy being here with you.” Hermione blushed as she turned her body towards him, setting her quill down next to her parchment. She didn’t realize how close they’d gotten until her knees bumped his in the process of turning. He was so close that she could smell the faint scent of his soap that reminded her so much of the Burrow, but it was also distinctly ‘Ron.’ It was the scent she’d smelled in the amortentia. She was quite sure it was the intoxication of his scent that drove her to ask the question that had been plaguing her for months now.

“Ron, how would you...label this?” She tried not to look alarmed at the words she’d heard come out of her mouth as Ron looked to his essay to see what she meant. “No, not...not the essay, I meant us. How would you label us.” Hermione Granger didn’t fidget, but she found herself playing with the edge of her sweater as she waited for him to respond.

“Us…?” Ron repeated. Hermione nodded as she chanced a look at him. “We’re...we’re best friends, of course.” Hermione’s eyes looked down in her lap as if she was steeling herself against the onslaught of disappointment. “But I,” Ron continued, “with this being a second ‘date,’ I thought maybe there was something...er, nevermind.” Ron couldn’t tell what was going through Hermione’s head, but she wouldn’t look at him, and he was starting to think he’d been reading all the signs wrong. 

“Do you want there to be something more?” Her voice was so quiet he’d almost missed it.

“Do you?” He hated that they couldn’t just answer each other, but isn’t this how it’d been for ages? He couldn’t take it anymore, but he also did not want to risk losing her altogether. They’d both been averting each other’s gaze, but Ron looked at her, waiting for an answer, and that’s when he saw her head nod ever so slightly.

Before he realized what he was doing he was leaning in and his hand had come up to cup her cheek, and he was kissing her. Actually kissing her! There was a split second where Ron wasn’t sure if he was doing it right, but then the shock must have worn off and Hermione was kissing him back. Her lips were so soft, and he felt as though he’d never tire of the way her mouth felt under his. Eventually though, with what seemed like both an hour and a second at the same time, their lips pulled away as their foreheads still touched, and Ron’s hand hadn’t moved from her cheek.

“I’d like that, too,” Ron said after he’d caught his breath. Hermione smiled shyly as she looked into his eyes.

“So does that mean we’re officially…” she was hesitant about finishing the sentence. What if he’d decided her kissing was subpar and that was a dealbreaker?

“Together? Yeah, as long as that’s what you want..” Ron finished her thought.

“It is, yes.” They both sat there for a while, afraid to move in case it broke the spell of what had just happened between them. 

Ron eventually looked down at his watch and realized that curfew was fast approaching. “I think we’d better pack up and head back, so we’re not out past curfew.” He pointed to his watch.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Hermione began putting her things in her bag. “Tonight was perfect, thank you.”

“Sorry we couldn’t have done this two weeks ago.” Ron said as he got up and pushed his chair in.

“It kind of did,” Hermione responded.

“What?” Ron looked at her, waiting for more of an explanation.

“That night, on your birthday in the hospital wing.” Hermione said.

“I’m going to need a little more than that, Hermione,” Ron was trying to keep the impatience out of his voice.

“Well, you actually told me what you’d had planned for us, and called it lame in the retrospect of your telling me. I thought it was wonderful, though, and told you so.”

“Good thing I made up the meeting then to keep it a surprise,” he chuckled.

“Yes, and I, well I told you I’d been planning to give you a third gift for your birthday on our date, but it seemed as though you being in the hospital wing had ruined it.”

“And what did I say?” Ron continued to press her.

Hermione smiled at the recollection, “You asked if you couldn’t have it now that you had been poisoned and convinced me to give it to you anyways.”

“Did it work?”

“What do you think?” Hermione smirked at him.

“I don’t know! That’s why I’m asking. Come on, Hermione, you’re killing me!”

“Not funny, Ronald!” He gave her a look. “I told you to close your eyes…”

“And?”

“And then I kissed you.”

“Bloody hell. So that, that wasn’t our first kiss just then.”

“Does it really matter?”

“Of course it does! Those potions made me forget everything, and you were upset because I couldn’t remember.”

“Well, it’s fine now, isn’t it? Plus, if you wanted to get technical over a first kiss, one might argue it happened before the quidditch match.”

“That hardly counts..” Ron argued.

“Our lips did touch though.” Hermione defended her statement.

“You’re impossible.”

“So are you.” Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ron held out his hand, and Hermione laced her fingers with his as they continued down the corridor back to Gryffindor tower. As they approached the Fat Lady, Hermione turned to Ron and said, “Close your eyes.”

“What? Why?”

“Just do it, please?” Ron stared at her for a moment before obliging. Hermione leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him once more before they gave the password.

Ron grinned at her. “What was that for?”

“To say thank you. And, you seemed pretty upset about missing the first one, so I thought I’d make it up to you.”

Ron pulled Hermione in by her waist and kissed her again. “I could get used to this,” he murmured against her ear.

“Me, too,” Hermione said as she nuzzled into his neck.

“Ah, young love!” the Fat Lady said adoringly, breaking them out of their reverie. 

“Guess, we should go inside now. Er, how should we tell Harry?” Ron asked.

“Tell me what?” Harry seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

“Where did you come from?” Hermione asked.

“I was in the library, looking for you two. Where were you?” Harry questioned.

“Ron surprised me with our second date..” Hermione said as she blushed again. 

Harry looked down and noticed their interlocked fingers. “So, then...did you two finally get it sorted? Both Ron and Hermione nodded. “Yes! Brilliant! Just try and you know, keep the snogging to a minimum around me, yeah?” Harry clapped Ron on the back and hugged Hermione.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Harry,” Hermione said, and then she proceeded to give the Fat Lady the password.

“By the way, mate, you should know you’re doing something wrong if it’s wet..” Ron laughed hysterically at his own joke.

“Oi! How long have you been waiting to use that one? I told you she was crying..” Harry defended.

“Still wrong, though..” Ron said and all three of them laughed as they entered the common room.


	8. What Happens Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick back up at the end of June. What will happen before the Battle that leads to Dumbledbore's death, and will Ron and Hermione's relationship be able to withstand what's to come?

Time seemed to flow by effortlessly for Ron and Hermione. Between Harry’s meetings with Dumbledore, and their own prefect rounds, they’d spent many moments together and their relationship couldn’t be stronger. They were sitting in the common room enjoying some quality time now that exams were over when Harry burst through the portrait hole. 

Harry approached them quickly. “He’s found one! I’m going with him now.” Ron and Hermione watched him take off up the stairwell before either could ask any questions. When Harry returned he shoved a small vial into Hermione’s hand.

“Harry, what’s this? Why are you giving it to me?” Hermione asked.

“I can’t explain it, but I just feel like something bad is going to happen tonight. I heard Draco celebrating so whatever he’s been working on must have succeeded. Plus with Dumbledore leaving the grounds, Hogwarts will be less protected. You should notify the D.A. and be ready. Drink that, the pair of you. You never know what might happen, and we might just need a little luck on our side.”

“But, Harry, mate, that sounds ridiculous,” Ron tried to argue.

“Just do it, please? Trust me. I’ve got to go. Explain things to Ginny, too, yeah?” Harry said as he made a hasty exit.

Ron looked at Hermione. “What the bloody hell was that? He can’t be serious, can he?”

Hermione was staring blankly at the portrait hole. “I- I don’t know. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to send out a message. See who responds?”

“What if he’s wrong? We all know how last year ended up being a trap..” Ron reasoned.

“Yes, but how could this be a trap? If it is we’d just be fighting a couple Slytherins, but if it’s not..” Hermione shuddered at the thought.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Got your coin handy?” Ron asked.

“I’ll go grab it. You take this,” Hermione said as she handed him the bottle of Felix. She wasn’t sure why, but she leaned in to kiss Ron rather fervently. If Harry was right, then who knew how many more times they’d have the chance.

Hermione returned a few minutes later, as Ron was sitting on the couch, passing the vial back and forth in his hands. She sat down next to him. “I sent the message. Do you honestly think anyone still checks them?”

“I doubt it, but it may be better that way. We don’t need to be starting anything.” Ron responded.

“That’s true. Should we say something to Professor McGonagall?”

“I’m sure she’s patrolling as well. Harry mentioned their being a higher presence when Dumbledore’s away, so I’m sure they’re already on high alert.” Ron took Hermione’s hands in his. “It’s going to be okay, Hermione. It always is.”

“Okay to what extent? Yes, we always survive, but not without any physical damage. You know you can’t promise that.” Hermione allowed her hand to trail up his arms, gently grazing his scars from the brains.

“Well, then at least we’ll have Felix on our side, yeah?” Ron tried to reassure Hermione, who nuzzled her face into his shirt.

Ron continued to hold her and was happy relishing in the moment when Ginny and Neville burst through the portrait door.

“Where’s Harry?” Ginny asked as soon as she saw her brother’s red hair over the couch.

Hermione moved away from Ron as they both turned to Ginny. “Gone with Dumbledore.” Ron told her.

“What’s the message about then?” Ginny pressed.

“Yeah, Luna saw it on her coin and we rushed up here as fast as we could. Luna’s dropping off her things in Ravenclaw tower and is going to meet us outside the portrait hole,” Neville added.

“Of course Luna still carries the bloody coin around with her,” Ron muttered.

“Why don’t you both put your things away and meet us back down here,” Hermione suggested. “Then we can go out and meet Luna and explain everything once,” Hermione sighed reluctantly.

Ginny and Neville took off up their respective staircases as Hermione turned to Ron. “I’m really worried about this,” she said.

“I know. Me too,” Ron replied. He leaned in to kiss Hermione again, trying to relay everything he was feeling into that one kiss. He hadn’t yet told her he loved her. There was no doubt in his mind how he felt, especially after these last few months, but he’d been waiting for a special moment. If he was being honest, he was afraid he might scare her off if he said it too soon.

“Ron, I-” Hermione was interrupted as Ginny returned to the common room, looking like she was going to hex someone if she didn’t get any answers soon. 

Ron cupped Hermione’s cheek and kissed her once more. “I know,” he said as he looked deep into her eyes.

* * *

Dumbledore was dead. He’d left with Harry and when they’d come back, he didn’t make it. It was all for nothing, too. Ron replayed Harry showing them the locket. He stared blankly ahead as Hermione clung to his side during the funeral. The eulogy had concluded, but he didn’t move. He was trying to be strong for Harry and Hermione. He was waiting for Harry to move so he could follow. 

He’d made sure Harry’s trunk was all packed, as well as his own. Hermione had done the same for Ginny. The Express was due to leave in a couple hours. Mum had tried to insist that he and Ginny use side-along apparition to return straight to the Burrow, but both Ron and Ginny were adamant that they weren’t leaving Harry until they pulled into London. Ron also needed the extra time with Hermione. He could tell something had changed over the past few days, and he needed to make sure they were okay.

Ron noticed Harry and Ginny stand up and start to head back towards the castle. He gently nudged Hermione and they stood up to follow.

“They’re not holding hands,” Hermione observed. Ron hadn’t thought much of it at first. Harry had promised he wouldn’t hurt her, and Ginny looked okay for now at least, but that didn’t comfort Ron in the slightest. “You don’t think he’s done something noble and stupid, do you? Honestly that’s not what he or Ginny needs right now.” Hermione was thinking out loud.

“You don’t mean to say you think he broke up with her?” Ron said incredulously. “He promised..”

“Yes, I know what he promised, but think of it from his perspective, Ron. He’s probably trying to protect her. Just like he tried to tell us he’s doing this whole hunt on his own.”

“Bloody mental if he thinks we’re not joining him,” Ron cut in.

“That’s what I’m trying to say. He already tried to protect us by shutting us out, only we wouldn’t let him. I can’t believe Ginny would let him, either, unless she knows why he’s doing it and isn’t trying to fight him right now.”

“You’re probably right. Plus, she’s got the Trace on her still, she couldn’t join us even if she wanted because there’s a good chance she’d lead You-Know-Who right to Harry.”

Hermione remained quiet, silently agreeing with Ron’s logic. “It looks like we’ve got a lot of planning ahead of us, doesn’t it.”

“Yeah, hopefully Harry can give us an idea of a place to start. We’ve got three to find, but he only knows of two of them.” Ron shook his head.

“It certainly seems impossible, doesn’t it?” Hermione said. “I have to protect my parents, too..”

“What are you thinking?” Ron could tell when Hermione was formulating a plan. He could have suggested extra security around her parents, or making their home unplottable, but he knew she’d already decided something. He was thankful she was finally speaking of it.

“I’m going to modify their memories and send them away.” Hermione stared straight ahead as she told him. She couldn’t look him in the eye.

“Hermione, that’s mental. You should at least talk to them fir-” Ron could not believe what she’d suggested.

“Ron, they know nothing about what’s gone on the past six years. I can’t start now. I was always trying to protect them! I have no choice. Please don’t fight me on this.” Hermione pleaded with him. Her tears started flowing again. “Please, don’t be angry with me, I know it’s crazy. I’m trying to come to terms with having to lose them and I- I don’t want to lose you, too.”

All of the anger in Ron’s body dissipated immediately. Where was this coming from? “Hermione, what are you talking about? You’re not going to lose me, too. Why would you even think that?”

She didn’t respond right away, and the anticipation was eating at Ron, but he kept quiet and waited. “I,” she said between hiccups and sniffles, “I just th-thought, with Harry being all, all bold and whatnot, that you’d do the s-same thing. F-focus on Harry and beating V-Voldemort.”

For once Ron didn’t wince at the name, but instead at how Hermione thought this new path meant they had to split up. “Is, is that what you want?” he asked her softly.

“No!” Hermione almost yelled. “That’s the exact opposite of what I want. Please don’t-”

“I’m not planning on it. Hermione, I’ll be here for you and I’ll support whatever you decide. Even whatever mental plan you’ve got in your head to keep your parents safe. Hell, I’ll even help you if that’s what you want or need. I’m not giving up on us.” He leaned over to kiss her forehead.

“Please don’t,” was all Hermione could manage.

“You don’t think we’ll, you know, have to do that, at all do you?” Ron managed to say without actually saying it.

Hermione didn’t want to say it either. “What Harry and Ginny did? I hope not. Let’s not think about it just now. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, alright.” Ron said, but Hermione’s answer didn’t comfort him in the way he was hoping it would.

“Can I come stay with you after I...you know,” Hermione asked.

“Of course you can. When are you thinking?”

“Maybe a week or two. I’ve already got most of the plans in place. I don’t want to wait too long given the state of things.” Hermione was back to her ‘all work, no play’ attitude. “We can work on a date for my arrival on the train. I just don’t think letters are safe right now. My plan is to apparate to the Burrow if you’re okay with that.” Ron nodded.

The rest of the day carried on quietly. Harry, Ron and Hermione were able to secure a compartment to themselves. Ginny had opted to sit with Luna, which allowed the trio to begin their planning. This was not the way Ron had envisioned the end of his sixth (and last) year at Hogwarts, but as long as he had Hermione by his side, he knew he’d be okay.


	9. Heartache for Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the conclusion! It's the night before the ministry break-in, and Ron and Hermione have a serious talk about their future on the hunt. Sorry for ending on an angsty note, but I do imagine the story falling back in line with canon for the remainder of Deathly Hallows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed the rating jumped from G to M. I wasn't planning on the smut, it just sort of happened. 
> 
> So here's your fair warning that there's a smutty scene to start the chapter off! (You're welcome)

They’d been at Grimmauld place for several weeks now. Ron was lying on the couch in the sitting room reliving the moments he and Hermione had shared at the Burrow before the wedding, and before things got to the complicated state that they were now. He was reliving one particular moment that had happened about a week before they’d been sent on the ‘Seven Potters’ mission to retrieve Harry. 

Hermione had joined Ron in his room well after dinner, when she should have been in Ginny’s room, but the uncertainty of everything had caused her anxiety to heighten to levels she couldn’t control. They laid there together on his bed as he held her and told her everything would be fine. Out of nowhere Hermione had initiated the best snogging session of his life, and there had been plenty of excellent snogs around Hogwarts for Ron to compare to. But there was something else behind Hermione’s kiss. A sense of urgency almost, as she pulled him closer to her and played with the hem of his shirt, daring him to take it off. 

So Ron shed himself of his shirt and rolled on top of her, deepening the kiss. His hands moved down her body as their tongues danced together in a synchronous way. When his hands reached the hem of her shirt in turn, she pulled away slightly and looked in his eyes to see if he wanted the same thing she did. Hermione didn’t hesitate when lifted the vest over her head and discarded it on the floor, leaving her in just her bra.

Sure, there’d been some touching and exploring between them at Hogwarts, but they’d always stayed fully clothed. ‘Hermione, are you sure-’ he remembered asking her. To which she’d replied, ‘Yes, Ron. Please,’ he almost lost himself then, hearing those words. It was then that she’d reached behind her and unclasped her own bra, and Ron didn’t think he could get any harder. His mouth came crashing down on hers once more as his hands pulled the straps off her shoulders and released her chest. God, she felt amazing underneath him, he remembered thinking as his mouth moved down and nipped at her neck. 

He pulled back to fully drink in the sight of her, telling her how beautiful he thought she was. She reached for his shorts just then and found his length, grabbing him hard. ‘Kiss me’ he heard her mutter, and he wasted no time whatsoever. He returned to her neck and trailed kisses down to her breast, carefully taking one taut nipple in his mouth as his hand fondled her other. It was getting harder to concentrate as she stroked him harder and he heard her moan softly. He moved his hand then down into her knickers, feeling how wet he’d made her. He’d never felt her that soaked through before and it was hard to believe it was all because of him. 

He began rubbing her in the way he knew she liked. It didn’t take long for her hips to start thrusting into him, and she’d become so engrossed in her own pleasure that she’d released him to put both hands in his hair. Ron didn’t mind at all because seeing her like this, seeing how he could make her come undone, was enough for him. He could tell she was close and he picked up the speed as he felt her shudder and collapse around him. He moved his body up to kiss her as she smiled into him. ‘Flip over’ she’d said, and the next thing he knew her lips were wrapped around him. 

That, all of that, was new to both of them and he’d never forget how he’d felt that night. Even if they hadn’t made it all the way to sex, that was okay, really. If they had kept going Ginny would have caught them in something way worse than the post-orgasm cuddles she’d abruptly interrupted. Better her than mum, he supposed.

The thought of his family brought Ron back to the present, wondering how they were doing and if they were okay. He heard a knock on the door as Hermione walked in.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked. It was late, but neither could sleep. They were breaking into the Ministry in the morning to attempt to retrieve the locket from Umbridge. 

“Not at all,” Ron said. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous,” Hermione said honestly. “I’m so worried about something going wrong. We know it will, since it always does, but how can we possibly prepare for it?”

“We’ll figure it out, same as we always do.” Ron reassured her. He watched her for a few moments. Normally, she’d fall into his arms as she sat down beside him, but she was on the opposite end of the couch. What was going on. “Hermione, what’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing,” she said unconvincingly.

“If it was nothing, you’d be sitting close to me and my arm would be around you. What’s going on.”

“I don’t know how to explain it.” Hermione said.

“Please try,” Ron urged her on.

“Being on watch, and working with Harry every few days has gotten me thinking a lot. Are we doing the right thing by staying together? For Harry? For us? What if something happens to one of us, Ron I don’t think-”

“Don’t say it Hermione,” Ron cut her off.

“I don’t think I could survive if something happened to you. I’ve just been wondering if what Harry did makes the most sense. Cutting himself off emotionally so he can’t feel if anything happens..”

“Hermione, that’s bollocks and you know it! Breaking up isn’t going to make us not feel anything if something happens to the other. It’s certainly not going to change how I feel about you.” Ron couldn’t believe what she was saying.

“But it could also help us focus more on the mission. Harry had a point you know. When we’ve both been home when it’s Harry’s turn we don’t get a lot of work done. Maybe we need to focus more on the mission. Maybe we’re getting in each other’s way..” Tears were filling her eyes.

Because there was no work to be done, Ron screamed to himself. Ron wanted to fight her with everything in his being, but if there was anything he was certain of, it was when Hermione had made up her mind. There was no changing it, and Ron could tell it was done.

“So you want to split then,” he said in a hollow voice. He had to accept her wishes no matter how badly it destroyed him. 

“Of course I don’t want to, but I feel like we have to. If we somehow manage to survive this war then we can revisit our...relationship. If that’s what you wanted.” Hermione’s heart was breaking even more with every word she said.

“That’s always what I’ll want. You’re what I want, Hermione. I love you, please don’t do this.” This was not the way Ron wanted to tell her, but he had no choice. He was desperate.

Hermione couldn’t fight the tears any longer. “I love you, too, so much. Can’t you see that’s why I’m doing this?”

Ron moved over closer to her and took her in his arms. “You know I hate admitting when I understand your logic. If this is really what you want, then so be it, but Hermione, you can’t change your mind. That’ll break me more than this already is.” She felt him nod into his tear-soaked shirt.

“If the war ends with our victory and we both somehow survive, can we-” Hermione asked hesitantly.

“Always. Hermione, I’ll always be yours, I want you to know that. That’s why I’m agreeing to this bloody idiotic plan of yours...because I can’t say no to you,” Ron said.

“I’m sorry. I just keep thinking what happens if one of us gets captured, and they find out and they try to use us as bait for each other. To separate us from Harry. They can’t know! They can’t have that advantage.”

Though it was breaking Ron’s heart more and more, he couldn’t disagree with her. She was right, and when it came down to it, they had to help Harry. “We’ll get through this, I promise,” he said as he kissed her one last time. He wasn’t sure how long it’d be until he could kiss her again, he just hoped he’d have the chance again someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said in the summary, I imagine this falling back in line with Deathly Hallows. I'll probably write an epilogue so we can end on a happy note after the war is over! Thank you so much for reading. You guys are the best <3


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't leave this story without a happy ending! So here it is, immediately following the Battle of Hogwarts.

It was over. Ron collapsed onto one of the benches in the Great Hall surrounded by his family. Voldemort was dead. Harry was alive. But Fred didn’t make it. Ron always knew the risks, knew that with such a large family that it was more likely they’d all make it out alive. It didn’t matter, though. He’d watched his brother die. If it hadn’t been for Hermione, he’d probably be dead, too. 

Hermione. Somehow, they’d made it out alive. Could this mean they could finally have a future? He looked around and saw her comforting Ginny. She looked up and her eyes met his, and she gave him a weak smile.

“Ron, it’s me,” Harry whispered from under the invisibility cloak. “Will you come with? Bring Hermione, too.” 

Hermione saw Ron’s look change as he listened to Harry’s request, and questioned him with her eyes. He nodded his head to her as if to beckon her to join him, and stood up to follow Harry out. He turned to make sure she was following.

“Is everything alright?” she asked him when she caught up.

“Fine. Harry’s ahead of us under the cloak. Wanted us to come with him,” Ron explained.

“Oh, right.”

They followed Harry to the headmaster’s office, and after that up to Gryffindor tower. Luckily the Fat Lady let them in without much resistance, and the common room looked to be pretty well intact.

“It’s weird being back up here, innit?” asked Ron.

“A bit yeah,” Hermione said.

“I’m heading to bed. I hope my four poster is still there. Otherwise, Seamus or Neville will have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight,” Harry said without looking back.

They watched him go as Hermione said, “He certainly deserves a good night’s sleep with no nightmares. Well, hopefully no nightmares.”

“We should probably get some sleep, too, yeah?” Ron asked. 

“Er, yes, I think I was hoping for a shower first,” Hermione said as she looked over at the girls staircase with trepidation.

“You can come up to the boys dorm if you want. I’ll make sure no one disturbs the bathroom for you.” Ron offered. In truth, he didn’t want to let her go up to the girls dorm and be alone, not after they’d spent the majority of the past nine months together.

“I’d like that, thanks,” Hermione said. So they headed up to what was now the seventh year dorm. Thankfully, Ron’s, Harry’s and Dean’s beds were still there, so he had a place to sleep tonight. Maybe if they were able to sort things out, Hermione could stay with him. If she wanted to, of course.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Hermione said as she took the beaded bag with her.

Ron sat on his bed as Hermione took off for the bathroom. So many thoughts were swimming in his head. He thought back to the conversation they’d had in September, of how they had to split up to protect each other. The promise..could you even call it a promise?..that they’d made to each other to get back together if they came out of this war victorious and alive. Would she even want that now? After he’d left? Sure, things were better and it seemed like Hermione had forgiven him, but the doubt the locket had imposed was still there lurking in the shadows of his brain.

She kissed me though, Ron thought, just hours before in the Room of Requirement. That couldn’t have been just adrenaline, or the fact that he’d remembered the house elves. Even at Shell Cottage, he couldn’t help but find himself getting close to her again. Too close, really, but it didn’t matter to him. Not after he’d almost lost her to Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor. He wanted to say screw their stupid arrangement right then and there, but he hadn’t. Ron continued to respect Hermione’s wishes, but never left her side the entire time she healed.

He couldn’t stand it any longer. He needed to know where they stood, so he got up and walked over to the bathroom. Ron knocked on the door, and went in when he didn’t hear a response.

“Hermione, are you alright?” He saw her sitting there on the bench, wrapped in a towel with her head in her hands, crying. Ron rushed over to her. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine,” she said, immediately leaning into his embrace. “Just overwhelmed.” Her crying slowed and she looked up at him. “I didn’t think we were going to make it. I still don’t know how we did when so many others didn’t.” It was the grief that hit her, and probably survivor’s guilt, too. Ron had overheard his mum talking to dad about it. Something about how she’d felt it when Fabian and Gideon died in the first wizarding war.

Ron squeezed her tightly. “I know, but we did make it. We’re here, and for the first time in who knows how long, we have a future.” Hermione looked up at him then and he leaned in to kiss her. He couldn’t help it. Ron just knew that’s what he needed in that moment and wasn’t afraid to take what he wanted anymore. “I’m going to take a shower myself, alright? You can get dressed and wait for me here or in the dorm.” He took the beaded bag and rummaged through for a change of clothes.

“I’ll wait here, if that’s okay? I may need help applying some dittany.” 

“Of course. I’ll be quick.”

Ron felt like a new person after he’d washed and gotten cleaned up. Several cuts on his body stung against the hot water, but it felt so refreshing to wash the grime of the battle away. He shut the water off as he dried himself, and put on the new change of clothes. 

Hermione was double checking for any additional cuts that needed healing, when Ron asked, “Need any help?”

“I think I’ve got it all. What about you? Need a few drops?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind. He pointed to the different areas as Hermione tended to him. When she’d finished applying the ditany to him, Ron took her hand and gestured to her to join him on the bench. “I was hoping we could talk and figure things out before we tried to sleep.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

“My feelings haven’t changed, Hermione. I know I left and that was shite, but I meant what I said. I regretted it the moment I was outside the protective enchantments. That locket, believe what you will, really messed me up. I want to tell you what it said someday, but not tonight. We’ve been through enough. If you’ll have me, there’s nothing I want more to be with you again. I promise I’ll never leave you again, and I’ll do everything I can to continue to protect you. I’m just asking for another chance.”

Hermione spent more time than Ron would have liked just looking at him, contemplating what he’d said. “You really hurt me, you know. I thought I’d never see you again and I was in a pretty dark place. But then, you were the reason I willed myself to fight through the cruciatus when Bellatrix was torturing me. Your voice helped me survive. I realized then that I could let all the anger go because you did come back. I wasn’t going to let that be the end if I could help it. I wanted- want, rather, a future with you.”

Without wasting a second more Ron reached out and took her face in his hands and kissed her like he never had before. Her hands eagerly wrapped around him in response and she met his lips with just as much need.

“I love you, Hermione. I always have, and I always will,” Ron told her.

“I love you, too, Ron. I’m so sorry I put us through that.” Hermione responded.

“Just don’t do it again,” Ron said as he managed a chuckle. 

“I won’t. I’m yours, forever, as long as you’ll have me.”

They kissed once more before Ron said, “Should we get some sleep now? We’ve been up past 24 hours it seems at this point.”

“Yes, that is a good idea.” Hermione said, but she hesitated to get up with Ron.

“You can sleep in my bed with me, assuming you want to. There’s no way I’d let you go to the girls dormitory now. And if Mum finds us, then she can sod off,” Ron held out his hand to her.

Hermione laughed as she took his hand and said, “Language, Ronald.” 

Ron knew that in that moment everything was back in place. They may have a lot of healing and rebuilding ahead of them, but he knew that together, they could accomplish anything. After all, they’d just managed to help the Boy who Lived save the Wizarding World. The possibilities for their future were endless now.


End file.
